“This is the beginning of a third Palestinian Intifada, which is erupting from the heart of Hebron and will spread to all of Palestine.”

One must be careful with this type of evidence; after all there is more than one reason for the Israeli political police, Shin Beth, to fake such a video. Moreover, considering the clothing of the participants it would be remarkably easy to falsify it even for the youngest agent, maybe as a graduation project. Yet, the video matches other developments on the ground and thus it is credible. It was posted on YouTube on December 15, 2012, by an alleged coalition of Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. These are the four main Palestinian political parties. Considering the disintegration of Palestine into Hamas-controlled Gaza and Fatah-controlled West Bank, this video is by itself groundbreaking news. However, it contains more than an image of unity. Its main message is “This is the beginning of a third Palestinian Intifada, which is erupting from the heart of Hebron and will spread to all of Palestine.” This will be achieved through the newly established “National Union Battalions.”

Let me translate this into simple terms. Following the acceptance of Palestine as an Observer State by the UN, the main Palestinian factions have united and declared Palestine’s Independence War on Israel. Is this credible? Will Palestine declare independence on May 14, 2013?

New Uprising

The video at the left was filmed the day before and shows violence in Hebron. Palestinian police officers are seen clashing with Hamas supporters during a rally in Hebron which marked the group’s 25th anniversary. The demonstrators marched from the city hall toward an Israeli checkpoint while the Palestinian officers attempted to disperse them. The demonstrators threw stones at them, and a number of them were detained. Due to resolution issues it is difficult to say for sure, but several Israeli soldiers may have participated in the event.

This may look like a contradiction to the claims made in the video above, but it is not so. It has been five years since Hamas supporters were allowed to gather in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority police was just making sure they would not reach the IDF checkpoint. Hence, the video supports the claim that a new coalition had been achieved.

Since November, there has been an increase in West Bank protests. According to the IDF, 130 attacks were launched from the West Bank in that month; most of them were defined as “difficult to contain.” AMAN, Israel’s military intelligence, reports a sharp increase in alerts suggesting attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. Moreover, Palestinian Authority police stopped arresting Hamas operatives in the West Bank, and they are allowed to act freely. The Shin Beth released reports claiming that the West Bank is ripe for a third Intifada. Thus, at least the message in the video above is credible.

False Trigger

The IDF is fighting an outdated war. One of its generals, who refused to be identified by name, said on the same day to Yedioth Aharonot, Israel’s largest newspaper, “There are two scenarios that may indicate the future: The reopening of Hamas’ da’wah [charity] institutions in the West Bank and the complete suspension of arrests of Hamas operatives.” He added that the trigger for a third Intifada may end up being Jewish terror, such as “Price Tag” acts or clashes between Palestinians and settlers. One of the saddest things in this world is an old general trying to repeat a war from his youth; this unnamed general did just that.

The First Intifada was formally triggered on December 8, 1987. Two days before that, an Israeli salesman had been stabbed to death in Gaza; denizens suspected a retaliation from Israel. Then, an IDF tank transporter ran into a group of Palestinians from Jabalya Refugee Camp in Gaza. It killed four and injured seven, creating what looked like a retaliation. Subsequent violent protests became the Intifada. Yet, the ground had been burning for months; in despair, the IDF sent training units to the Occupied Territories since the beginning of that year. Years later, in September 2000, the Palestinian unrest was of a similar magnitude. The Second Intifada began on September 28, 2000, when Ariel Sharon, Likud candidate for Israeli Prime Minister, entered the Temple Mount accompanied by over 1,000 security guards. He said, “the Temple Mount is in our hands and will remain in our hands. It is the holiest site in Judaism and it is the right of every Jew to visit the Temple Mount.” By the end of 2012, the IDF is betting on a third variant of the theme. Yet, recent Palestinian actions show that a similar scenario is unlikely to happen.

Phase is Everything in Life

“Phase is everything in life,” a physicist friend told me once, and I found it impossible to refute his claim. Anybody thinking that the Palestinians will follow in 2013 the same patterns as they did in 1987 and 2000 is at least out of phase with our world and probably out of touch with reality. As analyzed in May 14, 2013, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has proved that he possesses a sharp historical perspective by concentrating his efforts on the recognition of Palestine as an Observer State on the anniversary of the historic 1947 vote on UN Resolution 181, better known as the UN Partition Plan of Palestine. He outsmarted Israel, which concentrated its efforts on the annulment of the resolution, instead of attempting to change its symbolic date. This was the act of a mature statesman who realized that the negotiations had entered a dead end alley. He is unlikely to surrender to settlers or IDF provocations and has a clear goal: complete independence. For historical reasons, his best choice would be May 14, 2013. Hence, the IDF’s published scenario is unlikely. The date the violent phase of the struggle will begin on is not related to Israeli actions.

Regardless of the name used by the media, the Third Intifada has not begun. What we are seeing is a Palestinian national, coordinated effort to achieve independence. The video on the top of this page announces the soon to begin Palestinian War of Independence. Are you ready, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz?

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I’d say that the Palestinian issue and even Gaza weighs upon the Muslim’s ability to ALLOW non-Muslims their spaces and respect the whole gamut of non-Muslim entertainments. Throughout this blog, there are instances of why Muslims should not be allowed to dominate the world. Muslims are incapable of governing diversity or understanding Voltarian freedoms such as accepting LGBT, gambling, alcohol, adult industry to list a few examples. Gaza (inequitable by location – no country can be in two parts in this manner – best that a land swop or ceding of the Gaza territory by Palestine occurs . . . ) and Palestine will NEVER be free until perhaps for a start the Islamist leaning government in malaysia ALLOWS all the above listed HUMAN RIGHTS the appropriate spaces and legal recognition and enforcement protections in a manner suitable and dignifying of the groups mentioned. This is why Palestine does not ‘deserve’ to exist, this is why Israel has a right to persecute Muslims, simply by the persecution applied by Muslims on non-Muslims elsewhere in the world .

There can be no protection or rights for Palestine so long as in places like Malaysia there are no rights granted on the above issues and more so when Palestine keeps firing rockets at Israel.

Even ‘Malay’ (half-Malay) exiles running away from Malaysia’s political fascism hate on LGBTs as well. RPK is a Malay writer who flip-flops but generally hates LGBT . . Impossible to teach some people(s) . . . so how can islam ‘civilise’ and abide by rights of access and expression on so many other ‘Haram Rights’ issues for non-Muslims?

ARTICLE 2

Yemen Times interview with Russian Ambassador Vladimir Trofimov: – “I don’t believe that Yemen will ever fall apart, and my government position is to support Yemen’s unity.” (Report).

“I will be happy to answer all your questions,” said the Russian Federation’s Ambassador to Yemen Vladimir Trofimov when we met him for an interview. He candidly opened his hands, “When it comes to Yemeni and Russian relations, we have no secrets.” Trofimov had been ambassador in Yemen for two and half years and is likely to continue for another one and half. Before that, he had been working for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 35 years, 22 of which were spent Arab countries.

He graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1974 and in 1986 graduated from the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He has a Masters degree in History and speaks German, English, French and Arabic. He is married with one son who also works or the Foreign Service, specialized in Chinese affairs.

Nadia Al-Sakkaf interviewed Trofimov about Russia, Yemen and international affairs.

Every year, the Russian Federation provides Yemen with 80 Bachelor degree scholarships in many fields in addition to 45 scholarships for military degrees. A Yemeni-Russian Friendship Association recommends candidates for 20 of the general scholarships, while the remaining are decided on by the Ministry of Education.

Russia has investments in energy as it involved in the establishment of the Marib Power Plant, although it is keen on expanding to other fields when opportunity is available.

There are representatives of many large Russian industrial companies in Yemen and they are involved in energy and medical work, among other fields.

In the last few years, Russia canceled USD 5.5 billion of Yemen’s debts it the Russian Federation. And while Yemen still owes USD 1.2 billion, there is no pressure to return this amount as Yemen continues to pay an annual interest rate around no more than USD 20 million a year.

To Yemen, the Russian federation is not a donor country as such. However, it does help Yemen in facilitating agreements and supports Yemen’s development through expertise and discounted deals for equipment, arms, medicines and so forth.

Russians in Yemen

Formally, 500 Russians, mostly doctors and nurses, are registered with the embassy and have official state contracts. Yet the total Russian community in Yemen by far exceeds this number. Trofimov estimates that there are around 3,500 Russians living in Yemen, mainly in the medical field while others working in geological exploration among other disciplines.

Over the years, there have not been serious complaints raised by Russians living in Yemen and the general impression is that Russians feel safe across the country. They work in Sana’a, Aden, Taiz, Hadramout and Hodeidah. The embassy does not instruct its citizens where to go and where not to, as they have been evidently wise in their movement and work in Yemen.

“Even we at the embassy don’t believe that we need extra security measures despite the tragic incident of kidnapping and murdering foreigners in Sa’ada,” he said. “Thanks to the Yemeni government, security around the embassy is good enough.”

Security cooperation

Russia and Yemen signed a security cooperation agreement in 1998 and since then the two countries have exchanged expertise and Russia has supported Yemen with intelligence and military training, besides the 24 military scholarships every year.

During Saleh’s visit to Moscow this February, the two countries agreed on cooperation in combating terrorism and piracy. As a follow up, a specialized Russian delegation will be visiting Yemen in November this year to take the agreement further. There is talk of a joint Yemeni-Russian anti-terrorism and anti-piracy committee.

President Saleh also signed a deal to buy arms from Russia during his February visit. This is not the first time that Yemen buys weapons from Russia, who provides Yemen with discounted prices.

“We know Yemen is not a very rich country, so we do what we can to support Yemen’s sovernity and internal security, which is very important to us,” he said.

Yemen’s instability

“Our relations with Yemen are friendly and strong,” he said. “Our position is to firmly support Yemen’s unity and integrity.”

But Russia does not interfere in Yemen’s internal affairs like other countries do, Trofimov stressed. It trusts that the current president was elected by the people through a democratic process, and hence it is not fair to meddle into local affairs.

However, he believes that the instability in Yemen should not be over-dramatized. Another country with the amount of arms available in Yemen would have already been blown to pieces. Yemenis are therefore patient and calm people and are wise at handling their internal affairs.

The demonstrations in the south are economically based, and were triggered by some foreign and local political interests that do not represent all the Yemeni people.

“I don’t believe that Yemen will ever fall apart, and my government position is to support Yemen’s unity,” he said.

International affairs

Russia intends to hold a Middle East Peace Conference in the coming months. Its interest in the region’s stability is not new, as it has played a role as a mediator among many conflicting parties of the region.

“We don’t call it the Middle East,” he said. “We call it the Near East because it is near to us. And naturally we are concerned with its stability and want to ensure peace in the region. We have no problem talking to anyone in the process of making peace.”

Hamas has always been a controversial file between Russia and the United States among other western countries. Although there are currently around one and half million Russian Jews in Israel, Russia’s friendly position towards Hamas, Fatah and Iran has been made clear on more than one occasion.

“Mish’al had been invited to Russia twice before and we are inviting him again to visit some time soon,” he explained. “We must not ignore the fact that his government was a legitimate one elected by the Palestinian people. If we don’t consider Israel who keeps killing dozens of Palestinians every day a terrorist state, why should we consider Hamas a terrorist organization?”

“Our policy is to have fair relations with all sides, so that we can play a balanced role in the region in order to maintain peace,” he concluded.

Similarly, Russia’s relations with eastern countries are also maintained on friendly levels. Russia has annual USD 30 billion trade agreements with China and strong relations with India, notably commercial ones, as well as with other Asian countries.

Whether the new US administration means different US policy in the Middle East region is yet to be seen. However, Trofimov does find the Obama administration has a warmer attitude towards Russia compared to the Bush administration which was rather “confrontational.”…

The decapitated bodies of a judge, his wife and son were found at their home in one of the biggest Ukrainian cities of Kharkov on Saturday, police said. The killers also targeted the son’s partner, her body being mutilated in the same way.

­Victims of the graphic murder were discovered at the apartment of Vladimir Trofimov, 58, a judge of the city district court.

“The murder took place in the morning, four bodies are decapitated,” police said.

“We do not exclude Trofimov’s professional activity as a motive which led to the crime. But we are also looking into other possible reasons,” Kharkhov District police chief, Viktor Kozitsky remarked.

Local media report that police registered an emergency call at around 13:00 pm (11:00 GMT). The caller told them that he had found mutilated bodies of his four relatives including Trofimov himself, his wife, 59, their son in his 30s and the son’s girlfriend, 29. The murder occurred on the day that Ukrainian court workers celebrate their professional holiday. Kharkov is Ukraine’s second-largest city located in the country’s east. It was one of four Ukrainian cities to host the UEFA’s major football tournament Euro 2012.

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Silenced by the Arabs IN Russia (beheading seems to indicate)? Or silenced by the Russians themselves (in Arab style so that a war can be declared by Russia against Arabs . . . maybe high time so long as Islamists cannot abide by protection and granting of spaces and freedoms for non-Muslim entertainments) for being a double agent for Arabs in Yemen? Scary to get involved with these sorts . . . Gulag! Or conversion! Bad choices all, though extreme-Capitalism is no better . . .

Yemeni military court sentenced 93 members of the Republican Guard to prison terms from three to seven years for an attempt to break into the Defense Ministry building in August.

The elite Republican Guard is led by Brigadier General Ahmed Saleh, son of the former President Ali Abdullah Saleh who resigned from power in February after more than a year of protests, in exchange for immunity from prosecution.

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Postulation : Looks like North Korea informing/selling info with that new satellite? Satellites could be BRAIN SCANNERS . . . Memories do not fade Russia, but Kim should know that blackmailing of Russia for WW2 incursions quietly in the background, will be more useful to Kim in the long run than exposing Russia to Islamists directly. As for the necessity due to Russian treachery or the regain national pride of WW2 atrocities, that could wait until the Islamists have pledged to protect and ensure non-Muslim lifestyles.

There is a ‘morality’ ‘key’ on satellite technology that can only be operated by certain types of Egregore/Subconsciousneses born from certain types of persons or those of sufficient strength among a nation’s citizentry. Should the Egregore or or Subconsciousneses assent to operate the Satellite via contract with the owner, the ALIENS waiting outside the Earth’s orbit are ready to communicate with the owner of the satellite via the subconscious or egregore.

The above series of events INCLUDING the mass shooting of 26+1 in Newport (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100321171), and Hillary’s ‘timely’ (if not contrived) illness and concussion circa 16th December 2012 could be a sort of warning or brain transplant, or soul exchange occuring.

As for Kim, the isolation was so severe that if the ALIEN theory is true, then NK communications would be as important to describe the nature of humanity than be suppressed as in the current form. ALIENS may not fully understand human emotions and societies and having only met a handful of satellites, might be misled to think every other human was not good or needed to be suppressed. NK’s satellite was piloted by the ‘14th Dec 2012 Egregore‘ and reached space where ALIENS learnt the nature of isolation and reputational sabotage by human nation against human nation.

The other method of piercing the atmosphere is via psychic broadcasting, where a psychic broadcasts upwards into the atmosphere (this can be intercepted or conducted away) but such signals are of interest to ALIENS being biological in nature, and are viewed equally as valid expressions of humanity as the satellite. ALIENS as of now may be on a fact collecting mission, and having discovered the abuses of certain human segments of society are on a ‘cleanup’ mission. Internet and mobile phone incidentally have been entirely infiltrated and are being loaded by aliens who study the emotions, if not neurotech scientists . . . the psychoatric establishment also attempts to shut off communications by heavily drugging psychics able to pierce the atmosphere, this is effetive partially when localized and with opponent psychics focusing against.

Any refutes and discussions to/against the (most admitedly viewed as outlandish) above post is welcome.

Nicky was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when she was 29
The condition makes her muscles tighten, leaving her unable to move
Nicky now poses as a frozen Marilyn Monroe for two hours at a time to raise money for charity

A Parkinson’s sufferer whose muscles stiffen as a result of the disease has turned her condition into an art-form – by becoming a human statue.

Mother-of-four Nicky Pywell was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when she was just 29 forcing her to give up her career as a gardener.

The neurological condition means that without medication Nicky’s muscles and joints contract and tighten – and she is unable to move.

Nicky during her Marilyn Monroe performance

Good cause: Nicky decided to harness her muscle rigidity for charity by posing as a living statue for money

Undeterred, courageous Nicky decided not to let the debilitating disease get in her way and used her newly found talent to pose as a living statue.

She now raises money for charity by doing a Marilyn Monroe impersonation in her home town of Coalville, Leicester, for two hours at a time.

The street-artist now makes up to £400-a-time for Parkinson’s UK with her popular performances.

The 35-year-old said: ‘I become a living statue for two-and-a-half hours. I get stiff, all my muscles get rigid and I’m unable to move if I don’t have my medication.

Toddler enjoys first family Christmas at home after having ELEVEN tumours removed from all over her body
One loving family and a lethal divide: Sam, 25, and dying of a brain tumour insists faith healing can cure him. His cancer-consultant father is desperate for him to trust doctors

‘It was the idea of being stiff that led to being a statue. I do take little breaks but every time I am out on the platform I don’t move.

‘I raised about £390 the first time. That was taken from sponsorships beforehand as well as people giving me some on the day.

‘I gave an envelope to everyone I met that week telling them about myself and what I was doing.

‘I love Marilyn Monroe – she was a good actress and beautiful and glamorous. I find it really fun, I enjoy it and people say I look like her.’

Ms Pywell first sought her GP’s advice after she thought she had pulled a muscle while using a hedge trimmer nine years ago.
Nicky used to be a gardener but had to give up her job when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s

Nicky used to be a gardener but had to give up her job when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s

As time went on her left arm began to shake and drag but it took another three years and four neurologists to diagnose Nicky because doctors thought she was too young to suffer from Parkinson’s.

She added: ‘I was working as a self taught and self-employed gardener which I loved.

‘This particular day I was using a hedge trimmer and I thought I had just pulled a muscle. My left arm felt stiff.

‘I went to a walk in clinic and they gave me anti-inflammatory medicine, but it didn’t go away.

‘Then my left arm began to shake, and my left leg began to drag so much that it affected my driving.

‘Over the next three years I saw three or four different neurologists. None of them thought it could be Parkinson’s because I was so young.

‘Eventually my new GP sent me to a different neurologist at Leicester General Hospital. They admitted me to the ward, and Parkinson’s was finally diagnosed.

‘The medication they put me on worked very quickly and I was able to walk out of hospital.

‘I felt that things were finally getting under control, with the help of my Parkinson’s nurse.

‘Giving up my gardening career was one of the hardest things for me. Now, I’m taking each day as it comes.

‘People aren’t aware that I’ve got it unless I tell them and you get funny looks from people who make assumptions.

‘It’s much more likely that people think you’re drunk or taking drugs. For me to accept I’ve got Parkinson’s it was easier for me if I told the world rather than tell people one by one. It’s something I’ve learned to live with and not to be ashamed of.’

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Actually the psychic or astral imprinting issue is a viable problem to be considered with people with illnesses displaying themselves as role models. The best would be for warning to accompany with the ‘statue busker’ that has an illness (which spoils the work), or to have people in perfect health AND a family history free of disease that do not need warnings. That way, HEALTHINESS can be psychically imprinted upon the passers by rather than ‘wiping off’ of illness (if even intended or possible being in such a poor state of health) on the casual onlooker. Subconsciously those less wary or unaware may end up psychically ‘imitating’ Parkinsons disease while out of ignorance due to attraction for Marilyn Monroe and hence there must be some forethought and caution on the part of the audience as well even as the worker puts themselves out on a limb as well.

Some of the people who are knowledgeable about this may not practice or are coordinated well in actual practice, conversely those who practice well (a large majority I would say), do not know how to communicate this being unschooled in occult language. Then there are those fractured by the psychiatric establishment for being too strong or too aware, but thats another neurotech tagged article on this blog for those who care to browse . . .

President Barack Obama wipes a tear as he speaks about the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, …An emotional President Barack Obama vowed on Friday to “take meaningful action, regardless of the politics,” to prevent future tragedies like the shooting massacre Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

“Our hearts are broken today,” Obama said in a brief statement at the White House briefing room, frequently pausing to wipe tears from his eyes. “The majority of those who died today were children, beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them: birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams.”

Obama expressed sorrow for the victims’ loved ones and sympathy for the parents of the children who survived but who know that “their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early.”

“As a country we have been through this too many times,” Obama said, listing a series of mass shootings over the past few years in places like Aurora, Colo.

“These neighborhoods are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics,” he stressed.

Earlier, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters that “today’s not the day” to talk about possible new gun control steps meant to prevent such tragedies in the future.

Obama ordered flags over government facilities to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Dec. 18. Shortly after he spoke, Connecticut State Police said the death toll included 20 children, six adults and the shooter.

Obama learned of the rampage at 10:30 a.m. from Homeland Security adviser John Brennan. He later discussed it by telephone with FBI Director Robert Mueller and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy.

Obama’s reference to acting “regardless of the politics” seemed likely to be a reference to deep opposition in Congress to new gun control legislation.

“Today’s not … a day to engage in the usual Washington policy debates,” Carney told reporters. “That day will come, but today’s not that day.” Carney said renewing a federal assault weapons ban “does remain a commitment” of the president. The ban expired in 2004, and Obama has taken no serious steps to renew it on Capitol Hill.

Carney declined to answer repeated questions on when would be an appropriate time for lawmakers in Washington to discuss possible actions to prevent future tragedies. “Our minds and our focus need to be on what’s happening there and providing assistance where we can to those who need it,” he said, urging “enormous sympathy for the families that are affected.”

One reporter pointed to Obama’s remarks in July just days after a shooting spree that left 12 dead and about 60 injured at a movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

“I hope that over the next several days, next several weeks and next several months, we all reflect on how we can do something about some of the senseless violence that ends up marring this country,” Obama said at the time.

Obama has made similar comments before, including at a January 2011 memorial for the victims of a mass shooting in Tucson, Ariz., in which then-Rep. Gabby Giffords was grievously wounded.

“We have to examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of such violence in the future,” Obama said. “But what we cannot do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on each other. That we cannot do.”

Republican House Speaker John Boehner likewise ordered the Stars and Stripes lowered over the Capitol.

“The horror of this day seems so unbearable, but we will lock arms and unite as citizens, for that is how Americans rise above unspeakable evil,” Boehner said in a written statement. “Let us all come together in God’s grace to pray for the families of the victims, that they may find some comfort and peace amid such suffering.

“Let us give thanks for all those who helped get people to safety, and take heart from their example. The House of Representatives—like every American—stands ready to assist the people of Newtown, Connecticut,” Boehner said.

A country where every geezer or child is armed to the teeth is impossible to invade. Think Afghanistan where the kids casually carry around missile launchers or where an assault rifle is giiven as a coming of manhood gift. The above pic is of Russian origin. Does USA understand that people kill people and not guns kill people? Screening for psychos (psychiatrists kill with medications ALL THE TIME, so ban psychiatric meds . . . ) is the main issue.

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Absolute power absolutely corrupts.

Suggest that ALL owners of PRIVATE temples and churches be implanted with neurotech. Also all neurosurgeons who are able to implant neurotech and sellers of neurotech be implanted with neurotech as well. ALL private hospital committee chairs (or anyone with the authority to authorize bonuses), and ALL public listed company chairs serving more than 2 terms also required to be implanted with neurotech. ALL psychiatrists with the authority to implant neurotech be implanted with neurotech so that audits of all individuals possibly overseen by WHO can be done to see that abuse of political opponents and activists be prevented. Coroners who might have access to the dead and ‘used’ neurotech should also be implanted as well. The security people working at cushy jobs in nuke or dangerous weapon stockpiles also should be considered, to prevent bribery by unfriendly forces.

ALL neurotech implants should be registered with WHO and INTERPOL and deactivatable from WHO and INTERPOL to prevent abuse. ALL cabinet ministers related to security or neurotech based surveillance should be implanted with neurotech as well. ALL top police persons with access to neurotech devices be implanted with neurotech so that the NEUTRAL MEMBERS of public (i.e. no relatives, no neighbours, no people from the same establishment or work place) can do audits.

All neurotech implants NOT registered will be considered illegal. This way even banks and major companies leaking secrets and funds to unfriendly (not necessarily Muslet companies, but given the ‘War on terror’ the most infiltrations should likely be Muslet friendly ‘Whites’ of multifaith households or multifaith ‘toting’, yet Islamist leaning countries like Malaysia or some parts of Europe).

ARTICLE 5

New Russian motto: Legalize prostitution – collect taxes – 07.12.2012

The situation on the Russian market of sex services may soon dramatically change. Prostitutes will not be cheaper, and the moral climate in the society will not get better. Instead of vulnerability before the officials and clients, prostitutes would have “safety certificates” and those enjoying their bodies would have confidence that they are not dealing with a hotbed of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. A conference to discuss the initiative on the development of a law on legalization of prostitution was held in Moscow under the motto “legalize prostitution – collect taxes”. The idea was supported by a State Duma deputy from the party “United Russia” Joseph Kobzon.

The initiative on legalization of prostitution and the conference was originated by the fund “Morality Police.” The document of the organization, called a draft federal law “On state regulation and control of sexual services” suggested calling prostitutes “individual entrepreneurs engaged in providing sexual services,” and their clients – “consumers of sexual services.” The authors of the bill proposed to consider underground prostitution only sexual activities meant to obtain “income in the form of money or other material benefits.” The bill addresses the relationship between “entrepreneurs” and “consumers” as well as tax and other government agencies.

Duma deputy Joseph Kobzon supported the idea of ??the bill with reservations. He noted that the bill was just an excuse to start a great debate, perhaps even a referendum. “As soon as the State Duma starts drafting a law on prostitution, it will immediately raise the question of the need of its approval in the second reading by the government and presidential administration. Once the government feels that this law has a financial component, […] that there will be a need to allocate money from the budget to combat prostitution, it will be voted down,” said Kobzon. According to him, the money will be needed first of all for the maintenance of the new police unit – morality police.

Speaking after Kobzon, spokeswoman of the informal union of sex workers “Silver Rose” Oksana Yartseva noted that taxes that are rampant in prostitution “settle in the pockets of corruption.”

De facto prostitution flourishes in Russia, and the existing laws are obsolete. In the current Russian legislation Article 6.11 in the Code of Administrative Offences provides for a fine for prostitution between 1,500 and 2,000 rubles. There are two articles of the Criminal Code against pimps and keepers of brothels. They are “Involvement in prostitution” (up to a maximum of eight years in prison) and “Organization of prostitution” (ten years).

The conference overlooked the fact that talking about prostitutes we normally think of women, and thinking of customers we think of men only, which is not quite true. Everyone knows about the existence of male prostitution – and not just for the gay.

Sociologist Olga Kryshtanovskaya was among the most prominent opponents of legalization of prostitution at the conference. She did not like the fact that “it can be done by any girl who graduated from high school.” The opponents of this bill have two main arguments. The law on the legalization of prostitution is contrary to the traditional moral values ??and would lead to a greater spread of this vicious phenomenon. Ms. Kryshtanovskaya who specializes in the study of elites also mentioned sex tourism: “Would we face a huge influx of migrant sex tourists who will be coming along with their male migrant workers? How will it impact our demographic situation?”

In contrast to the arguments of morality and increasing number of prostitutes, the rhetorical question of Olga Kryshtanovskaya is very pertinent. The first oldest profession safely existed from time immemorial and, apparently, in one form or another will exist as long as the human race exists. As for Christianity, according to Jesus, individual prostitutes have a chance to enter the kingdom of heaven before priests and the elders. The spread of prostitution, as noted by Joseph Kobzon, is affected by social problems.

As long as Russia stays a poor country, the officials should think hard before legalizing prostitution. Otherwise, Russia can turn into semblance of Thailand that has become the center of world sex tourism. Russia should also look at the experience of Germany. Prostitution in Germany is legal in Protestant lands and prohibited in Catholic Bavaria. However, the ban does not lead to the destruction of brothels but, rather, drives them underground.

Igor Bukker

Pravda.Ru

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Igor? We all know that the regime establishment, chauvinists and militant feminists thrive off the sexual frustration of either gender. Prostitution if legalized will remove this element of psychic abuse from society and even prevent abuse especially FROM the hetero religious establishment fundos. The officials have been thinking ‘hard’, but Igor has been thinking ‘soft’. If Russia turns into the semblance of Thailand, one can only see the downfall of Capitalism as Socialism takes control when business goes to Russia. The economic vibrancy (we all know that places where the most entertainment occur is also where the biggest deals get done) of a Thailand-like Russia would dominate the world. Why would Igor not want that? Fifth columnist fronting for Capitalism? Igor is an ‘Igor’ for the Frankenstein of USA’s extreme-Capitalists (much like Islamists) . . .

European kindergartens and schools may ban children’s books and fairy tales that depict the traditional family. This is a request of the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights. According to the committee, fairy tales should talk about sexual diversity. Norwegian experts believe that children benefit from watching porn.

The European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality prepared a report that calls for a ban of all books that show the traditional family where the father is the breadwinner and the mother takes care of the children in schools and day care centers of Europe. According to the authors, these books are bad for the future life of children, especially girls, and promote wrong behavioral patterns. In the future, it may prevent them from building a career.

Feminists are concerned that children from an early age are constantly faced with “negative gender stereotypes” in television shows and commercials. The word “negative” in the report is synonymous with the word “traditional”. Over time, the ban would be extended to television and advertising. So far it was decided to start with books.

The authors of the report strongly recommend urgent legislative measures in the field of children’s literature. In particular, they suggest introducing a policy of “equality of all social sectors.” An example of alternative children’s literature is a book “King and King” with kissing men on the cover. According to the report, this would help children to learn about the “true sexual diversity of society.”

In fact, such measures have already been taken in some countries, particularly in Scandinavian ones that consider themselves the vanguard of Western democracy. “Pravda.Ru” once reported about a Swedish toy manufacturer that issued a catalog before Christmas where girls were pictured shooting imaginary enemies with laser guns, and boys were depicted playing with dolls.

This was a requirement of the Swedish advertising regulator who accused the toy manufacturer of sexism and imposition of negative gender stereotypes. Norwegian kindergartens in 2010 introduced a program of compulsory sex education focusing on sexual minorities.

The report of the European Parliament also insisted that “homosexuality should be taught in kindergarten as a form of experience and knowledge.” According to them, this will expand the concept of “gender identity” for children. “Sexual diversity should be obvious to children. Children need to know that this is normal when your parents are gay or lesbian.”

For some reason, not all parents are willing to believe that this is “normal.” In Norway Muslim community strongly opposed such education in kindergartens. They threatened to withdraw their children from such institutions or create an alternative.

For the “dark” parents who are not aware of the latest trends in sex education in modern society, Norway’s largest newspaper VG Nett recently published an opinion of psychologists and sex therapists who said that it was beneficial for children to watch porn on the internet.

“Parents should not be afraid of their children’s sexuality. Conversely, from a health perspective it is beneficial to watch porn at a time when parents and children talk openly about these issues,” said psychologist and sex researcher Andres Lindskog.

He was commenting on a statement recently issued by an expert from the organization Save the Children, who expressed concern about the fact that increasingly more children and teenagers were addicted to watching pornographic sites on the Internet.

Anders Lindskog is convinced that there is no addiction or harm from this. “It’s important for parents to understand that children are born with sexuality and follow their biology. Children have the same feelings as adults,” said the expert.

After that, should we be surprised that the number of cases of pedophilia is growing in Norway? They mostly occur within the family. A few days ago, newspapers wrote about another such case. A couple, a husband and wife, subjected their three children under 10 years of age to violence and sexual perversions for years.

The children confirmed the violence to the police. But that does not mean that the punishment will be sufficiently severe. In Norway, pedophilia is considered a disease and is listed in the Medical Register. For this reason, pedophiles are given short sentences – from several months to several years. In some cases punishment could be limited to penalty only. In the end, parents can always say that they practiced “diversity of sexual relations.”

Svetlana Smetanina

Pravda.Ru

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Since brain scanning neurotech use is rampant, the issue of abuse and consent as well as TRUE (non-contrived) experimentation among children and conscientious NON-ABUSIVE AND NON-PREDATORY AND NON-EXPLOITATIVE adults that are not a form of uncontrolled incest, should be considered as part of the law making process. There should be no ‘top-secret’ preventions in the expositions of technology and application to the populace any more to prevent abuse and Orwellian dictatorships, hidden or not.

As for feminists or chauvinists, these groups should be allowed to exist as well and educate in the form they would prefer (i.e. disallowing fairytales) BUT may only ‘recruit or induct’ from children who have been determined to have NATURAL PROPENSITY OR GRAVITATION BY A NEUTRAL PANEL and consensually chose the subculture . . . *NOT* even children of arbitrarily feminists or chauvinists by nature should be forced into this sub-culture.

That would mean that Feminists and Chauvinists would continue to exist as a social group, but only be based around affirmation of the type of person, which a child MUST independently decide, and choose from A LIST OF ALL VARIANTS OF SUBCULTURES which must be part of early education. Meanwhile parents back home must be taught to not *forcibly inculpate* ANY values so that the child may grow up independently to decide what they want, NOT what the parents want. Invariably, the traditional family would doubtless survive as well – PROVIDED the issue of land and wealth distribution is resolved and do not from lack of distribution cause poverty to influence the child’s decision and choice as well.

Warren Buffett, the investor famous for betting on aging industries like railroads and insurance, is now trying to pull off something other billionaires have tried and failed to do: save the newspaper business.

His company, Berkshire Hathaway, has spent more than $342 million on 80 newspapers — including its hometown paper, the Omaha World-Herald — and used them to build a new business unit. And Buffett isn’t done. Though the division announced plans to close an underperforming newspaper in Virginia last month, he’s said that more acquisitions may be in store.

Terry Kroeger, the newly installed chief of Buffett’s newspaper empire, runs the operation from a 15th-floor office overlooking the expanse of wide streets that make up Omaha, Neb. The goal, Kroeger says, is to reintroduce newspapers to what they do best: delivering urgent, local information that readers can’t get elsewhere — and coaxing people into paying for it. He’s also creating offshoot websites with corporate sponsors and branching out into Internet video.

“We’ve got to evolve with what people are looking for, and I think our industry has done kind of a crappy job with that,” Kroeger, 50, said in an interview.

Kroeger, who started working at the World-Herald 27 years ago, once kept a pair of sneakers under his desk to mow the lawn whenever the grass around the office building got unsightly. Just like in those early days, it’s essential to charge readers for the reporting that journalists provide, he said. The World- Herald erected a so-called pay wall last year, and Kroeger aims to roll out the same approach across his other newspapers.

“You can’t spend millions of dollars assembling something and then give it away,” he said, endorsing a strategy adopted by the New York Times, News Corp.’s Wall Street Journal and most of Gannett Co.’s papers.

The World-Herald, Buffett’s flagship paper, will see its revenue decline this year as circulation shrinks, Kroeger said. It generates about $100 million annually and remains profitable, said Kroeger, who declined to elaborate on its finances.

Buffett’s acquisition of 63 newspapers from Media General earlier this year accounts for most of the newspaper unit. Based on Media General statements, those newspapers generated $299.6 million last year, a 50 percent decline from 2006.

Kroeger said that Buffett’s total newspaper division is in the black and should remain so, despite the shrinking revenue.

“We’re profitable this year,” he said. “I have a high degree of confidence we will remain profitable next year as well. We’re very high on the industry.”

The paywall has helped support revenue, though the program is still in the early stages, he said. The World-Herald’s circulation, meanwhile, has continued to shrink. It fell 3.2 percent in weekday readership to 130,932 from a year earlier, according to the most recent data from the Alliance for Audited Media. The Sunday edition dropped 2.9 percent to 165,397.

Even if the paywall draws help boost subscriptions, the move is more of a palliative than a cure, Kroeger said.

“We have to get into new businesses,” he said.

One such venture, already under way, aggregates health-care articles from the World-Herald and other Berkshire-owned Nebraska newspapers into a website sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska. The site, which is freely available to readers, has advertising in addition to the sponsorship.

The risk is that sponsorships jeopardize a newspaper’s objectivity, especially when it comes to medical information, said Todd Gitlin, a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Kroeger said the arrangement with Blue Cross doesn’t affect the content.

The broader question is whether newspapers can evolve quickly enough to revive a decaying business. They’re confronting shrinking demand for print advertising, declining circulation, and encroachment from Internet companies such as Google and Facebook. The industry’s ad dollars dropped 6.6 percent in the first six months of 2012 from a year earlier, according to the Newspaper Association of America.

While community papers have an edge over publications in crowded media markets, no one has found a way out of the slump, said Ken Doctor, a media analyst with Outsell in Burlingame, Calif.

“There’s no silver bullet,” he said. Newspapers in many places had enjoyed a near-monopoly pricing on print advertising, Doctor said. “That’s not coming back — for anybody.”

Kroeger said last month the company will shutter the Virginia-based Manassas News & Messenger, one of Buffett’s most recent acquisitions, and cut 105 jobs in the process. The newspaper faced too much direct competition from other papers in the area, which includes Washington, and was continuing to lose money, Kroeger said in the World-Herald.

“We didn’t see any way to really turn it back into a profitable enterprise, reliably, so what made the most sense was to just cease publication,” he said.

Other billionaires have tried and failed to turn around the newspaper business. Tribune Co., the owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, filed for bankruptcy in 2008, one year after a buyout led by real-estate magnate Sam Zell.

Buffett’s gamble is less ambitious. His recent spending spree on newspapers amounted to less than two-tenths of 1 percent of Berkshire’s total market value.

He also may have more success than others, said Don Graham, chairman and chief executive officer of The Washington Post Co. Part of Berkshire’s strategy is focusing on smaller market papers that don’t have to compete with other media, Graham said.

“When you get larger, you get challenged by more forms of media competition for advertising delivery,” he said last week at an investor conference. “Anybody who really focuses on the newspaper business should be studying one company this year: Berkshire Hathaway.”

At Buffett’s Omaha paper, Kroeger is investing in high- definition video equipment, with an eye toward doing an online sports show featuring its reporters. That’s something major market newspapers such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have tried. Unlike those national publications, though, Buffett’s newspapers embrace a simple tenet: All news is local.

“The community aspect of what we do is so important,” Kroeger said. “Obituaries, for example, are huge. You want to find out how big a deal that is? Misspell somebody’s name in an obituary — once. You’ll never do it again. These things matter to people.”

Kroeger’s first job at the paper was as an assistant purchasing agent. He negotiated for newsprint costs from vendors and made sure the company’s trucks had enough gas to make their deliveries every day.

“I was pretty low on the food chain,” he said. “It’s where I learned about the nuts and bolts of the business.”

Buffett is a longtime investor in newspapers, though never at this scale in the past. Buffett’s interest in the industry had been mostly limited to a stake in the Washington Post and the 1977 purchase of the Buffalo News, which is run separately from Kroeger’s operations. Its publisher, Stan Lipsey, reports directly to Buffett. Berkshire also owns a stake in Gannett, the publisher of USA Today.

Buffett is the second-richest American, after Microsoft’s Bill Gates, with an estimated worth of $46.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That’s made him one of the highest-profile backers of print journalism.

“I’ve loved newspapers all my life — and always will,” Buffett wrote in a letter to employees of his newspapers earlier this year, before going on to say that he will probably buy more papers over the next few years. Buffett’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Kroeger declined to discuss the company’s future takeover targets. Other newspaper businesses focused on smaller markets include McClatchy Co., a publisher of 30 daily newspapers such as the Sacramento Bee, and E.W. Scripps Co., which operates 15 newspapers from Cincinnati. Tribune Co.’s newspapers also will be put up for sale as the company emerges from bankruptcy later this month, people familiar with the matter said this week.

Buffett, born in Omaha, has been a loyal subscriber to the World-Herald for most of his adult life and understands the challenges the paper faces, Kroeger said.

“He knows it’s not going to be easy turning things around,” Kroeger said. “He gets what we do here and he’s been incredibly helpful, generous with his time, offering advice when he can.”

Still, Buffett doesn’t influence news coverage, said Mike Reilly, the World-Herald’s executive editor. And there’s been no shift in how the paper covers him, he said. For years, the paper has run a weekly column on the billionaire called “Warren Watch,” something that continues under Buffett’s ownership.

“There hasn’t been any change in how I run the newsroom,” Reilly said. “We used to cover the heck out of him and we still cover the heck out of him.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Starting from articles on the net, the number of hits should decide WHICH articles get published on solid paper. The hits online determine how much a person gets paid for an article (this should be capped at a limit of minimum wage per SERIOUS article or if the – we can’t have people getting millions at the company’s expense for A SINGLE ARTICLE), THEN the article gets published BECAUSE of many hits. This way articles that people do not read are left out, and the 99% decide what gets published instead of the editors who are doubtless controlled by the political regime of the day. For non-serious articles or trivia like music launches, celebs or fashion the rate should be at 5% of minimum wage per article, as we do know that a single journalist can churn out dozens a week and these automatically get ‘hits’ because of the shallow masses or tired minds looking for something simple. Various articles of similar types could appear all at once, so the top 20 top hits of the same article perhaps could be edited AND the ‘minimum wage purse’ be shared among journalists who independently found the article on their own (reposters not counted). As for comments, the ‘average annual wage’ purse could be shared for the top 10% of comments so that feedback is also included. Newspapers should not pontificate but also include comments as well.

ARTICLE 8

Susan Rice withdraws from running for secretary of state – live coverage – guardian.co.uk, Thursday 13 December 2012 23.11 GMT

Susan Rice

UN ambassador tells Obama ‘I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly’

As news of Rice’s withdrawal broke, the president entered a meeting with House Speaker John Boehner on how the two sides might come to a fiscal cliff compromise.

If the president caved on Rice, does that mean he’s in a cave-y mood generally?

The deputy chief of staff for the speaker’s office, David Schnittger, says the meeting has concluded, but he isn’t saying what happened.

The @whitehouse #fiscalcliff meeting between @speakerboehner and President Obama has concluded.
— David Schnittger (@OhSchnitt) December 13, 2012

11.11pm GMT

Slate’s Dave Weigel calls it. That guy’s good.

I just hope McCain makes a rare Sunday show appearance to discuss this news.
— daveweigel (@daveweigel) December 13, 2012

Potential defense secretary Chuck Hagel, a former colleague of John Kerry’s on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and like Kerry a Vietnam vet, is not regarded by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to be an especially faithful friend to Israel, Eli Lake reports in the Daily Beast (Aipac never takes formal positions on nominees):

A senior pro-Israel advocate in Washington told The Daily Beast on Thursday, “The pro-Israel community will view the nomination of Senator Chuck Hagel in an extremely negative light. His record is unique in its animus towards Israel.”

Josh Block, a former spokesman for AIPAC and the CEO and president of the Israel Project, told The Daily Beast, “While in the Senate, Hagel voted against designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, refused to call on the E.U. to designate Hezbollah a terrorist group, and consistently voted against sanctions on Iran for their illicit pursuit of nuclear weapons capability. It is a matter of fact that his record on these issues puts him well outside the mainstream Democratic and Republican consensus.”

11.02pm GMT
Kerry: ‘we should all be grateful’ for Rice’s service

Ewen MacAskill sends John Kerry’s statement on the withdrawal of Susan Rice:

I’ve known and worked closely with Susan Rice not just at the UN, but in my own campaign for President. I’ve defended her publicly and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again because I know her character and I know her commitment. She’s an extraordinarily capable and dedicated public servant. Today’s announcement doesn’t change any of that. We should all be grateful that she will continue to serve and contribute at the highest level. As someone who has weathered my share of political attacks and understands on a personal level just how difficult politics can be, I’ve felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks, but I also know that she will continue to serve with great passion and distinction.

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 to discuss a disabilities treaty. Kerry did not want to respond to questions from reporters about recent talk that Kerry is a top candidate to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., listens during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Dec. 3, 2012 to discuss a disabilities treaty.
10.57pm GMT

Let’s hope Kerry recovers from his conflicted feelings about Rice’s political troubles in time to put a cheerful face on it should he be nominated to take the job that was supposed to be hers.

“I’ve felt for her throughout these last difficult weeks.” — John Kerry on Susan Rice. — The Fix (@TheFix) December 13, 2012

Heh.

If Kerry as Sec’y of State is half as effective against Iran’s mullahs as he was against Susan Rice, I’m for him — Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) December 13, 2012 10.43pm GMT

Updated at 10.47pm GMT

Who, apart from Sen. John McCain, is most pleased by today’s news? There’s reason to speculate that outgoing Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown might not be taking it so badly.

Brown is expected to be a front-runner to fill Kerry’s senate seat if Kerry gets the state nod. Here’s ABC’s Elizabeth Hartfield:

…with Rice out of the running, Kerry is “all but certain” to get the nomination, according to ABC’s Jake Tapper. That means a vacant seat and a special election, which could benefit out-going Sen. Scott Brown, who lost his bid for reelection to Elizabeth Warren in November. […] Brown’s victory in a special election would not be a sure thing. Although he leaves office with high approval ratings- exit polls from the 2012 election showed him with a favor-ability rating of 60 percent- but Massachusetts is a solidly Democratic state, and there are many Democrats in elected office in the state who could challenge Brown. 10.37pm GMT

The uproar over Rice’s statements on Benghazi was fueled by a desperate attempt to score points during the presidential campaign, as Tom Ricks so bluntly explained on Fox News. Then Obama was reelected and the continued campaign against Rice began to look especially unhinged.

Consider Iowa Rep. Steve King, who today said the Benghazi scandal is 10 times bigger than the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals combined, the Washington Times reported (h/t: @batterdippin):

“(Watergate) was a break-in that Nixon had no knowledge of at the time. It became about the cover-up,” King said. “Iran-Contra, again, as far as the real depths of what went wrong and who violated what laws, we didn’t really get that identified in there. … This is a case where we had an ambassador who was assassinated. He and the others were victims of a plot and a plan. We were willfully and intentionally misinformed by the White House. You know, if Richard Nixon tried to cover up Watergate, that’s an easy case to make that the Obama administration didn’t want us to know what has gone on. We still don’t know.”

This kind of circus wackiness, among other factors, made the case against Rice look weak. It looked like something a newly empowered president could bulldoze through. In late November, John Heilemann in New York Magazine went so far as to list five reasons why a Rice confirmation was a done deal:

As a rule, your columnist avoids predictions, but in the spirit of holiday indulgence, I will make an exception here: Not only will Obama appoint Rice to succeed Clinton but she will be confirmed.

Here’s Heilemann’s fourth reason:

4. Because McCain is being a jackass—and Obama is sick of it. Arguably more than any other national figure, the senior senator from Arizona is driven in every aspect of his public behavior by personal pique. In the wake of the 2000 Republican nomination fight, when he believed Bush and his campaign had defeated him by nefarious means, McCain lunged to the center and became one of the sharpest thorns in the side of the new president from his own party. In the wake of the 2008 election, when he was soundly thumped by a Democratic challenger whom he regarded as a neophyte and a pretender whose experience and valor were no match for his own, McCain immediately shed all traces of mavericky independence and became one of Obama’s fiercest critics from the right. […]

Apparently Obama wasn’t so sick of it. 10.27pm GMT

Updated at 10.30pm GMT

FILE – DECEMBER 13: Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from the running for Secretary of State. NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 30: Susan E. Rice, ambassador and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), attends a UN Security Council meeting regarding the on-going situation in Syria on August 30, 2012 in New York City. UN Security Council negotiations regarding the situation in Syria collapsed last month. (Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images) Continuity Horizontal Syria USA New York City Meeting Politics Ambassador UN Security Council United Nations Blocked Terms Diplomacy Attending Permanent Representative Susan Rice Situation Susan E. Rice, ambassador and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), attends a UN Security Council meeting regarding the on-going situation in Syria on August 30, 2012 in New York City.
10.13pm GMT

TPM’s Igor Bobic has a longer excerpt from Rice’s interview with Brian Williams to air tonight. Rice says that she didn’t want to see a disruptive confirmation process:

Today I made the decision that it was the best thing for our country, for the American people that I not continue to be considered by the president for secretary of state because I didn’t want to see a confirmation process that was very prolonged, very politicized, very distracting, and very disruptive because there are so many things we need to get done as a country, and the first several months of a second-term president’s agenda is really the opportunity to get the crucial things done. We’re talking about comprehensive immigration reform, balanced deficit reduction, job creation, that’s what matters, and to the extent that my nomination could have delayed or distracted or deflected or maybe even some of these priorities impossible to achieve, I didn’t want that and I’d much prefer to continue doing what I’m doing, which is a job I love at the United Nations. 10.11pm GMT

The GOP, Michelle Obama and favors to repay

Guardian Washington bureau chief Ewen MacAskill observes that the president was in a tight spot over the secretary of state nomination – but now he is not:

The Republicans might have done Obama a favour. The president was under pressure from two of the women in his life, wife Michelle and adviser Valerie Jarrett, to give the job to their friend Rice rather than to Kerry. Obama owes Kerry, having used him repeatedly as an envoy to help with sensitive issues such as relations with the Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai. Kerry was also the Mitt Romney stand-in during presidential debate practice. Rice had the necessary diplomatic credentials. She has been right about more issues than she has been wrong, being an early champion of the West taking a tougher line on the Darfur issue. But when she has failed, she has failed badly. She was responsible for African affairs in the Clinton administration, and critics – fairly or unfairly – blame her for doing little to prevent the rapid disintegration of the Congo, a conflict that is estimated to have cost at least two million lives.

On a small scale, she was humiliated a fortnight ago when the UN general assembly voted in favour of a step towards Palestinian statehood. Showing none of the humility such a defeat deserved, she put her head down in the assembly to read out a defiant statement that would have pleased few outside of Israel. Kerry, chairman of the Senate foreign affairs committee, has much wider experience in the diplomatic world, and knows already many of the world leaders. Rice’s departure from the field will be greeted with relief in foreign ministries round the world who have been on the receiving end of her rough tongue: that is, most of them. For the same reason, her continuation as UN ambassador will be greeted with groans at other UN missions. 10.06pm GMT

How spontaneous is the Rice news? She’s already taped an entire interview with NBC News’ Brian Williams, a snippet of which just aired.

Rice said that the president’s second term would see “an attempt to get the crucial things done… [and] to the extent that my nomination could have delayed or distracted [from these priorities]… I didn’t want that.”

She told Williams she’ll stay on as UN ambassador.

It’s gracious boilerplate for withdrawing nominees.

was #Susan Rice pushed or did she jump? — Barbara Slavin (@barbaraslavin1) December 13, 2012

9.59pm GMT
The rise and fall of the next secretary of state

At what point did the president decide the fight over Rice wasn’t worth it?

Obama was still fully behind his potential nominee when she made her trip to the Capitol Hill woodshed at the end of November, meeting with Sens. McCain, Lindsey Graham, (R-SC), Kelly Ayotte, (R-NH) and others.

“The concerns I have are greater today than they were before, we’re not even close to having the answers,” said Graham at a joint press conference following the meeting. “The American people got bad information on Sept. 16, bad information from the president after that, and the question is, should they have been given any information at all?”

Republicans accused Rice of misleading Congress and the public about what happened in Benghazi in the Sept. 11 attack that killed Amb. J. Christopher Stevens, a computer technician and two security contractors employed by the CIA.

The Obama administration, led publicly by Rice, initially made the attack on a US mission out to be part of a spontaneous protest over an anti-Islam video that had provoked such a protest that day in Cairo and elsewhere.

Later it emerged that there was no protest, that the attack was planned and that the mission was attached to a covert CIA post.

Five days after the attack, Rice made this misleading statement on NBC’s Meet the Press:

What happened in Benghazi was in fact initially a spontaneous reaction to what had just transpired hours before in Cairo, almost a copycat of the demonstrations against our facility in Cairo, which were prompted, of course, by the video. Opportunistic extremist elements came to the consulate as this was unfolding. They came with heavy weapons, which unfortunately are readily available in post-revolutionary Libya, and it escalated into a much more violent episode. In the face of GOP criticism, the president said Rice was simply passing on the best information the intelligence community had at the time.

“If Senator McCain and Senator Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me,” Obama said. “And I’m happy to have that discussion with them. But for them to go after the U.N. ambassador, who had nothing to do with Benghazi and was simply making a presentation based on intelligence that she had received and to besmirch her reputation is outrageous.”

Instead Republicans decided to continue to go after Rice, a lead adviser on the president’s first campaign.

Rice was not just another adviser; aides of both have told me Obama considered her someone he had a strong kinship with. — Perry Bacon Jr. (@perrybaconjr) December 13, 2012

She was one of first national security wonks to join his camp in 2007 and played a big role suggesting Obama was experienced enough. — Perry Bacon Jr. (@perrybaconjr) December 13, 2012 9.55pm GMT

The Guardian’s Chris McGreal notes that criticism of Rice went beyond her performance after the Benghazi attack:

Although Republican ire focused on Rice’s role in the aftermath of the Benghazi attack that killed the US ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, she faced strong criticism from other quarters over her backing of African despots and her unflinching support of Israel. Hours before Rice withdrew from the race, Robert Wexler, a six-term former congressman who now heads a pro-Israel think tank in Washington, said of her that “Israel has no greater champion in the current administration than Susan Rice”. That’s a view shared by some of her critics who say she has gone beyond the call of duty in projecting US policy on Israel to became a passionate defender of the Jewish state despite Binyamin Netanyahu’s policies, calling criticism at the UN “anti-Israel crap”. Rice went to lengths to woo the biggest of the pro-Israel lobby groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Rice has also come under strong criticism over her positions on Africa, most recently for trying to suppress a UN report strongly critical of the Rwandan government’s arming and other support for rebels in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rice was a national security official in Bill Clinton’s White House who played a part in the US’s failure to act against the 1994 genocide of Rwanda’s Tutsis. Since then she has been an unswerving supporter of the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, who as a Tutsi rebel leader put a stop to the genocide even in the face of a growing body of evidence his forces are bound up with years of war crimes in Congo. Rice has also come under criticism for supporting other authoritarian leaders in Africa. In September she delivered a eulogy for the late prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, calling him “brilliant” and a “a true friend to me”. Meles had a long track record of bloody suppression of democracy. 9.39pm GMT

“I will do everything in my power to block [Rice] from being the United States secretary of state. She has proven that she either doesn’t understand or she is not willing to accept evidence on its face. There is no doubt five days later what this attack was and for” – Sen. John McCain on Fox News, Nov. 14, 2012

US Senator John McCain, speaks during the 8th Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama, Bahrain, 08 December 2012. The 8th Manama Dialogue organized by the London based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) which will run until 9 December 2012 will focus predominantly on Syria and broad regional security issues. EPA/MAZEN MAHDI US Senator John McCain, speaks during the 8th Manama Dialogue security conference in Manama, Bahrain, 08 December 2012.

McCain reaches for the brandy and mutters to himself, “It’s a great day for America.” Fade out. — David Corn (@DavidCornDC) December 13, 2012 9.35pm GMT

To many seasoned observers it looks like the president has just lost a high-profile fight with Republicans over a potential nominee he has very publicly defended, indeed is personally linked to.

BuzzFeed’s Ben Smith is reminded of the bloody Cabinet fights of Obama’s first term, when he had to nominate three commerce secretaries, including Bill Richardson, before he got one through, and when former Sen. Tom Daschle failed as a health secretary nominee. A bit of a repeat of very early term 1, esp on national security: Obama, bloodied up a little by the Hill, shows weakness. — Ben Smith (@BuzzFeedBen) December 13, 2012 9.29pm GMT

Hagel thought to be front-runner for defense slot

Rice’s withdrawal isn’t the only action in cabinet shuffling this afternoon. Earlier today Bloomberg News reported that former Sen. Chuck Hagel had the completed the vetting process to be the secretary of defense nominee. The report describes Hagel as “the leading candidate to become Obama’s next Secretary of Defense.”

Another senator, John Kerry, also had been mentioned as a potential defense pick, perhaps as a consolation prize were he to be denied the job he really wants, secretary of state, which was thought to be occupied by Susan Rice.

Now Rice is out at state. And Hagel may be in at defense. Which for John Kerry could mean victory.

Here’s the Bloomberg report:

Hagel, who served as an enlisted Army infantryman in Vietnam, has passed the vetting process at the White House Counsel’s office, said one of the people. The former Nebraska senator has told associates that he is awaiting final word from the president, said the other person. Both requested anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Other contenders are Michele Flournoy, former defense undersecretary for policy, and Ashton Carter, deputy defense secretary, administration officials have said. Obama invited Hagel to the White House on Dec. 4 to discuss the position with him, according to an administration official. The president hasn’t made a final decision, said another official. Both asked for anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney today declined to comment on whether Obama is considering Hagel, saying only that the two-term former lawmaker was widely respected. – 9.22pm GMT

Rice’s letter withdrawing her name

Here’s Rice’s letter to the president withdrawing from consideration as US secretary of state. “The position of secretary of state should never be politicized,” she says. Ambassador Susan Rice’s letter to President Obama (h/t: @thematthewkeys and @katierogers) 9.16pm GMT

The Guardian’s Ewen MacAskill sends President Obama’s full response on the Rice announcement. The president said he spoke with Rice today:

Today, I spoke to Ambassador Susan Rice, and accepted her decision to remove her name from consideration for Secretary of State. For two decades, Susan has proven to be an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant. As my Ambassador to the United Nations, she plays an indispensable role in advancing America’s interests. Already, she has secured international support for sanctions against Iran and North Korea, worked to protect the people of Libya, helped achieve an independent South Sudan, stood up for Israel’s security and legitimacy, and served as an advocate for UN reform and the human rights of all people. I am grateful that Susan will continue to serve as our Ambassador at the United Nations and a key member of my cabinet and national security team, carrying her work forward on all of these and other issues. I have every confidence that Susan has limitless capability to serve our country now and in the years to come, and know that I will continue to rely on her as an advisor and friend. While I deeply regret the unfair and misleading attacks on Susan Rice in recent weeks, her decision demonstrates the strength of her character, and an admirable commitment to rise above the politics of the moment to put our national interests first. The American people can be proud to have a public servant of her caliber and character representing our country. 9.13pm GMT

Obama ‘deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack’ on Rice CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller gets the response from President Obama, who says he “deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack” on Rice, but her decision “demonstrates the strength of her character & an admirable commitment to rise above politics.” In written statement, Pres Obama says he “deeply regrets the unfair and misleading attack” on Susan Rice, — Mark Knoller (@markknoller) December 13, 2012

In his first press conference after his reelection, the president struck a note of unusual perturbance in responding to Republican attacks on Rice.

“[Rice] has done exemplary work,” he said. “She has represented the United States… with skill and professionalism and toughness and grace. … and if Sen. McCain and Sen. Graham and others want to go after somebody, they should go after me.” 9.11pm GMT

Rice out of the running for secretary of state

UN ambassador Susan Rice has withdrawn her name from consideration for secretary of state, NBC News has reported. A potential nomination for Rice, who for months was perceived to be the president’s top pick, has been the object of fierce opposition from Republicans, who accuse her of misconduct following the September attack on Benghazi.

“If nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly – to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities,” Rice wrote in a letter to President Obama obtained by NBC. “That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country … Therefore, I respectfully request that you no longer consider my candidacy at this time.”

We’ll be live-blogging developments. 9.04pm GMT

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Good honourable and ethical move by Rice. Rice has decided to ditch crony politics by sacrificing an opportunity that destroys democracy. Frankly ‘friends’ or seat holders in other places should not be ‘re-given’ posts. This should be something a panel should vote on and willing volunteers from a talent pool should sign on for for their 15 minutes of fame.

More than any other politician in America, her candidacy would change the contours of the next election.

Every Democrat with ambitions to succeed President Obama wants to know the answer to one question: Is Hillary Clinton going to run? If so, many will decide against doing so themselves. Who wants to square off against an opponent who’ll have a better fundraising operation, a better resume, and a spouse who happens to be America’s best surrogate? At the moment when the first black president is preparing to leave the White House, who will want to run against someone with a more than viable chance of becoming the first woman president?

“She seems like Democrats’ best bet, perhaps by some margin, to extend their winning streak to three or more terms in the White House,” Nate Silver notes. “If she ran even a point or two stronger than a ‘generic’ Democrat, the odds would shift meaningfully in her favor, holding other circumstances equal.”

But say Clinton doesn’t run. That changes everything, doesn’t it? Any Democratic primary without her would be dubbed “wide open.” Joe Biden may try to succeed his boss either way. But he is eminently beatable, as every aspiring alternative knows. He wouldn’t scare anyone away.

I won’t speculate about whether she’ll run. We’ll know in time. I’ll just say that it matters now that we don’t know, insofar as the uncertainty itself affects present behavior among certain Democrats.

I’d prefer it if Hillary Clinton stayed out of future races. My instinct is that she’d abuse executive power and civil liberties every bit as much as the man who appointed her to be secretary of state, especially now that he has acclimated the left to transgressing against transparency and the rule of law. What I can’t deny to Democrats is the likelihood that her foreign policy experience would permit her to retain her party’s edge on those issues, especially if she ran against someone as inexperienced as Marco Rubio, whose foreign-policy chops are hard to take seriously.

Grizzled feels more reassuring than boyish, does it not?

That isn’t to say she’d be a lock in the general election. About the only prediction I’m willing to make about Election 2016 is that Hillary Clinton would be a strong candidate barring a scandal.

But “likeable enough” to win?

What I’ll be most interested to see, if she does run, is how the conservative movement reacts to her candidacy. With relative sanity, insofar as they can’t very well accuse her of being a Kenyan anti-colonialist? With a return to the anti-Clintonian fervor of the 1990s? I suspect the latter reaction wouldn’t play well. Politicians who hang around long enough seem to become inured even to scandals in which they were actually caught red-handed. There isn’t anything so clear cut in Clinton’s past, and if many Americans are like me, the word “Whitewater” would send an involuntary shudder of dread coursing through the population, as if we were collectively told we’d have to re-watch the pre-trial motions from the O.J. Simpson trial while sequestered in a cheap hotel with nothing for diversion but Clinton-era back issues of The American Spectator.

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Can see the family blocs in 3rd world countries ready to jump on this opportunity to justify nepotism . . . do the right thing USA. Political culture is bad enough as is. Then the impossibly timely occurance below :

First stomach virus THEN concussion after ‘accepting’ the run for Presidency? (After Bill then Hillary, what next? Clinton’s children for President as well? Might as well run and declare USA a monarchy . . . no hate there but the 3rd world really cannot do with any justifications for nepotism arising from USA of all places! The Presidency of the United States and even so many high official posts should never be a hand down post, if a seat has been held by a family member, no way should the seat be allowed to another from the Clintons – the friends and cronies issue of seat/post hand downs are already bad enough, don’t start a trend . . . ) False flag or a warning by greater forces or even a warning by USA to 3rd world countries in the form of a false flag? Anything to put a stop to nepotism which destroys democracy and leads to dictatorship.

ARTICLE 10

Charlie Gonzalez’s Departure from Congress Marks End to Political Dynasty – Published December 17, 2012 – Fox News Latino

Charlie Gonzalez

San Antonio, Tex. – The retirement from Congress of Rep. Charlie Gonzalez is ending a half-century streak during which his father, then he, served in Congress, representing their San Antonio district.

The outgoing chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus served 14 years after replacing his famous father, Henry B. Gonzalez, who carved out a lasting legacy as a political reformer and civil rights leader.

Charlie Gonzalez, a Texas Democrat, is returning to private life after deciding to not seek an eighth term. Taking his seat is Joaquin Castro, whose family packs its own celebrity pedigree: His twin brother is San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, a rising star on the national stage who was the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention this year.

Charlie Gonzalez told the San Antonio Express-News that he’s leaving with a “sense of sadness.”

“It’s a job, but it’s an incredible job. The people, the surroundings, nothing compares to it,” Gonzalez said. “It is bittersweet. That is the best way to describe it.”

Charlie Gonzalez was first elected in 1988. His father served for 37 years and was chairman of the House Banking Committee, which wielded power over financial institutions and was instrumental in pushing reforms. The elder Gonzalez used that clout to push for public housing and programs for the homeless.

Larry Hufford, a political science professor at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, said the elder Gonzalez pursued social justice in a time when it wasn’t fashionable. Charlie Gonzalez represented a 20th congressional district that, by the end of this last term, covered impoverished barrios on the city’s West side as well as middle-class and affluent neighborhoods to the north.

When it came to national issue, Charlie Gonzalez used his status Hispanic Caucus chairman to push for immigration reform.

“Charlie was able to carry on that legacy with a much different style; more low-keyed but very effective,” Hufford said.

Charlie Gonzalez dismissed suggestions that he could wind up being an appointee in President Barack Obama’s second term or be elected to a statewide office. A Democrat hasn’t been elected statewide in Texas since 1994.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Gonzalez’s decision to leave Congress marks the “end of an era.”

“To decide on my own when to leave Congress, that wasn’t a decision wasted on me,” Charlie Gonzalez said. “I’m a blessed individual. Rather than having circumstances imposed on my life, I’m looking forward to this next chapter in my life. It is my encore career.”

This is based on a story by The Associated Press.

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Rare example of ethics. there is nothing beneficial personally for Gonzalez in quitting, but every such quit makes Democracy stronger and makes nepotism and oligarchy weaker. THIS should be the criteria for state awards or monuments than anything else. There is no end to wealth and power, and once enough politicians focus their value system on higher values away from the greed or power-madness fog, the super-pac, too big to fail, and plutocrat/corporate lobbyist and eventually the economy issues, will be easier to fathom and deal with. This is a form of ethics, as preventing nepotism is as dangerous as corruption in politics.

Tanis Baker, 21, dressed as a ninja to ‘strike fear in the hearts of criminals
He was arrested after officers who spotted him became concerned
He was soon surrounded by armed police, dogs and a helicopter
Two hidden rucksacks containing smokebombs and costumes found after arrest

Comic book fan: Tanis Baker told police he was a vigilante in a ninja costume after police arrested him while armed with a homemade wooden Samurai sword

A would-be vigilante was arrested by armed police after he dressed up as a ninja and armed himself with a wooden Samurai sword.

Mystery man-in-black Tanis Baker, 21, wanted to ‘strike fear’ in the hearts of criminals in his neighbourhood just like his comic book idols.

But a court heard Baker ended up on the wrong side of the law after dressing up in ninja-style black body armour and a mask.

He armed himself with smoke bombs and a home-made wooden Samurai sword then crouched in the darkness in a park ready to pounce on any troublemakers.

But a police officer saw Baker in the shadows – and he called for back-up because of his concerns over the mystery figure.

Within minutes he was surrounded by armed officers, police dogs and a helicopter hovering overhead above Beechwood Park in Newport, South Wales.

He was arrested and officers found two hidden rucksacks containing seven smoke bombs and other vigilante costumes.

Magistrates at Cwmbran, South Wales, heard he told police he was a ‘vigilante in a costume’ and that he wanted to help people in trouble.

He claimed to be the ‘eyes and ears’ of the police on the streets and wanted to strike fear into criminals.

The probation officer who assessed him said Baker was a fan of American comic book superheroes.

His probation report said: ‘He seems to get confused between fantasy and reality and sometimes had trouble distinguishing between what was in comic books and what was real life.’

The court heard that in real life Baker is no superhero but works as a barman in a snooker club in Newport, South Wales.

Hi-ya! Mr Tanis said he dressed up as a ninja to ‘strike fear’ in the hearts of criminals in Newport (picture posed by model)

Louise Warren, defending, said: ‘Baker was bullied for many years and struggled growing up in his neighbourhood.

‘He was attacked by a gang of youths while out with his sister a year ago, but police were unable to find the offenders.

‘Since then Baker has wanted to help the police to protect society.’

The court heard Baker was asked what he would do if he encountered a real crime and said he had not thought that far ahead.

Superhero: How Baker might have looked when he was arrested while dressed as a vigilante ninja

He was given a 12-month supervision order and ordered to carry out 60 hours unpaid work.

Chairman of the magistrates Paul Lavin, said: ‘You may have thought you were helping but you caused a lot of trouble.

‘Do not do this in future or else you’ll be in big trouble.’

Baker, of Cwmbran, South Wales, admitted having an offensive weapon in a public place.

He declined to comment after the case.

Storm in a teacup as The Ninja of Newport has to meet the authorities somehow when he makes his introduction but now he could supply them with a trusty Ninjaphone to ring him in their hour of need to save the day and help restore law and order showing the baddies there’s a new guy in town and his name is THE NINJA OF NEWPORT!!! *plays national anthem*

– Stuart , Edinburgh Scotland, United Kingdom, 13/12/2012 18:34

We need more vigilantes on the street, but we criminalise them instead. Take Phoenix jones of Seattle, he and his friends do a great job, lawfully and prevent crimes, as well as assisting law officers.

– Illuminati cards , Bunker, 13/12/2012 18:49

What part was illegal ? Smoke bombs aren’t illegal, they are let off at paintballing sites, and wooden sticks aren’t illegal unless something new has happened, that makes drumming against the law.

– mileage , Barry, 13/12/2012 18:49

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Look here anyone is allowed to cosplay a ninja or favourite super hero (or Otaku genre!) character. Orwell has taken over Newport. More ‘ninjas’ or cosplayers should lurk ‘ in the shadows ‘, SPECIFICALLY to see what the local enforcement does. Good work Tanis! Now we all know that Newport is not a free sort of place. A really free minded place would give a verbal warning or even co-opt the ‘ninja’ as an eccentric member of the neighbourhood watch who refused to work with the formal watch. More cosplayers! And know that permission for carrying actual weapons can be obtained and if registered should not be an offence.

But a wooden sword? Thats not even a weapon. A really long carving knife is more dangerous than a wooden sword and is legal to carry around. A handgun is more dangerous than the above and still is legal. Lurking might be addressed with a simple request. And the reasons given are only to protect society! What gives Newport? More cosplayers and lurkers EVERYWHERE! How about openly walking around with masks, costumes and ‘lurking’ in corners for the rest of the week Newporters! I’m surprised Tanis did not challenge the judgment. Where’s that US culture of freedom and vigilante-ism? For the conservative types, try Cowboys and Indians with camping knives, whips and 6 shooters for a start . . . set up camp in a ‘lurky’ area EVERYDAY in shifts. See what the local enforcement does . . . we’ll know where Orwell LURKS instead – then set up a map of ‘people friendly’ and ‘people unfriendly’ places, the 99% will know how to vote or which laws to amend . . .

House Speaker John Boehner has made a decision that will make some wealthy Americans squeal, while making most Americans smile.

Boehner, after weeks of rhetoric that Republicans and Democrats were miles apart on fiscal cliff talks, relented on a stance that high earners shouldn’t see higher taxes. Now, Boehner has agreed to raise taxes on Americans making more than $1 million, reversing an earlier position that all Bush Era tax cuts should stand.

The move by Boehner is particularly significant for several reasons. First, it’s a gesture toward compromise— Democrats wanted taxes raised on Americans making more than $250,000, while Republicans, at first, would have none of it—and suggests the two sides may finally become serious about averting the fiscal cliff. Next, the tax hikes would increase federal coffers by some $1 trillion over 10 years; President Obama has demanded $1.4 trillion in new revenue, but at least the pols’ figures are growing closer. And Boehener’s decision is a refreshing signal that, when confronted with dire forecasts—like the one that predicts a recession to start 2013 if the fiscal cliff happens—Washington, D.C can put aside partisinism and past promises. Though, I imagine that Grover Norsquist takes little glee from Boehner’s shift.

Republicans are the first to sacrifice a sacred cow. Now, Democrats must too. What mostly impedes progress? Some $200 billion. That’s the difference between the spending cuts in federal health care programs that Republicans want ($600 billion) and Democrats want ($400 billion).

Investors will probably take this move by the pols as evidence that a deal will eventually come. We haven’t piled out of stocks quite like you might think. Indeed, the major benchmarks this month have gained about 4%. There hasn’t been that complete flight to safety—into the cash-generative arms of Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Walt Disney—and away from risk—fleeing the speculation around a Research In Motion comeback or better times for Alpha Natural.

Still, the cliff today looks less like a chasm than it did just a few days earlier.

Reach Abram Brown at abrown@forbes.com.

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Squeal? What they earn in a year is an entire lifetimes 401K or many times more than 401K which the 99% takes decades to earn, these wealthy Americans are just SPOILT. Boehner did good, and if the wealthy Americans are too squealy, they are welcome to move to a favourite country of their choice – as mentioned before all assets a country has are land and resource divided by number of citizens not useless fiat. the US A will be happy to have 1 citizen less and more to share among those who stay.

ARTICLE 12.5

French wealthy ‘feel victimised by tax’ – by Hugh Schofield – 10 December 2012 Last updated at 15:02 GMT Help

Actor Gerard Depardieu has become the latest wealthy person to flee France’s 75% tax on those earning over 1m euros a year.

The star has bought a house over the border in the Belgian village of Nechin.

France’s richest man, Bernard Arnault has already applied for Belgian citizenship and thousands of other wealthy French people are making the move.

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The ‘wealthiest’ will NEVER pay enough because in 1 year they earn 10 lifetimes what most ‘wealthiest’ Frenchmen earn in decades EVEN AFTER TAX. No place for Marie Antoinettes here . . . and 75% tax is not enough because they can hold assets up to 75,000% of what the ordinary french person has with the very wealthiest earning 7500% of what the 99% does EVEN AFTER TAX. 75% of 100 million of the less ecxeptional wealthiest is still 25 million in earnings, 75% of 10 million is 2.5 million in earnings which is easily 10 times what the 99% earn in a lifetime . . . Victimised?

Some Frenchmen can’t even buy French bread or have a French roof! That money goes to social services not banquets for the French officials I hope, otherwise time to storm the Bastille again . . . 75% tax is farcical considering the above facts.

The issue of child prostitution and its supposed alter-ego, adult prostitution, are personal to me because I’ve experienced both, having been prostituted between the ages of fifteen and twenty-two.

I sometimes think of what those who knew nothing of me would have thought of me, as they caught glimpses of me, on the different stages of those seven years. Who doubts that the majority would have looked at my young teenaged self and wondered what sort of world we lived in? And who doubts, if they’re honest, that many would have looked at my young adult self and wondered what sort of women populated it?

This is the dichotomy of adult and child and they are viewed as very separate, very distinct, so that there is a clearly perceived line between these stages, these ages, but in fact it is not a line. It is a bridge. It is a bridge that spans the in-between; that gap that connects the points in the lives of so many women who were prostituted first as children then as adults. I lived that bridge in my own prostitution life, when I was turning from a child into a woman, and I was used sexually for money on most of the days that made up my adolescence, as I was before in childhood and afterwards in early adulthood. And here is the crux of the matter: it was all the same nightmare to me.

People chose though, before and after those in-between years, whether I was blameless or blameworthy. In the interim, while I existed in the in-between, each individual who looked at me or fucked me had the privilege of making up their own mind. Many did, and most chose the latter.

After that, when I was identifiably a woman, it was not a case of ‘most’ anymore, but ‘almost all’ – because almost all those who looked at me in my young adulthood decided that I’d chosen what was happening, and saw it as what I was doing rather than what was being done to me.

The ‘done to me’ aspect died, you see, along with my adolescence in the perspectives of other people. The problem was it didn’t die, and I was still alive, living the ‘done to me’ reality every day.

As a fourteen-year-old girl, a full year before I ever started prostituting, I first realised that some men felt an actual entitlement to my body. This was perfectly expressed by the extreme belligerence they’d display when I rejected their advances. They would be so angry. ‘How dare you?’ said their actions. I couldn’t make any sense of that attitude. It was literally like someone was speaking in a foreign language to me, and it was a foreign language in a sense; it was the language of sexual entitlement. I became fluent in the language eventually, but fluent in the sense of someone speaking a language not of their origin; someone who can understand it audibly, but will never be able to write it.

At that time though, I couldn’t imagine how anyone could think it was okay to walk up to someone on the street and wrap your arms around them, or grope somebody, or growl what you’d like to do to them into their ear. But I had all these experiences as a fourteen-year-old girl and I’d had three approaches by paedophiles as a pre-pubescent child, and still I could not fathom why and how this was supposed to be acceptable in the view of these men, why this was supposed to be okay. I remember one man’s surprise and affront as he told me “You’re very standoffish!” after I pulled away from a physical embrace I didn’t initiate, ask for, permit or fucking want.

These experiences came thick and fast from the age of fourteen, when I began to be more noticeably developing breasts. It is little wonder I became fluent in the language of male sexual entitlement. Facial expressions, aggressive stances, weary sighs, protracted silences – all these too make up part of that language, all these are used to communicate the idea that you’re expected to consent when a man decides he will have rights to your body.

So I’d had some schooling, in that sense, as to what prostitution expected of me. What I didn’t know was how bad it was going to get. I couldn’t have known that before I experienced it. It was unknowable. Well, I soon found out, and what I found out didn’t get any better on the day I turned eighteen and it didn’t get any better on the day I turned twenty-one either.

They bother me, these stupid irrelevant lines that are drawn that attempt to divide the lived reality of the prostitution experience based on whether a female is fifteen or seventeen, seventeen or nineteen, eighteen or twenty. They are diversions to the central matter at hand; they divert from the core issue. They disappear the fact that this is wrong, not only by degrees that deepen with the youthfulness of its target, but by its nature, so that all those who’ve been paid for sex they do not want have suffered sexual abuse. There is a shelf-life for women in prostitution, but there is no shelf-life for the nature of prostitution. Its abusive core does not morph into something else on a person’s eighteenth birthday. Not that many men wait that long in the first place.

And on that note, people need to start querying what is the criterion for fuckability according to sex-buying men? What is their divining rod for ‘of age’? Is it a pair of breasts? My experience of prostitution is that it is any pair of breasts, regardless that they’re still developing; and this we’ve got to see as a form of sexual selfishness that has decayed to the point where it’s putrid. It is also a nonsense of a position, because if a pair of breasts at any stage of development signify completed womanhood then every females adulthood actually began at the onset of puberty; not began to form, but began in full. Every woman was a woman before she was a woman, by that ludicrous standard.

I am sure we will have a lot of indignation from sex buyers on this point, but as a fifteen-year-old child with developing breasts I was abused by a multitude of these men every day; men, some of whom would never have considered themselves paedophiles or predators or abusers – and I saw the same men pay to use the bodies of other adolescents with breasts, one of them just thirteen years old, so I can assure the reader that these men assured themselves wherever there was the presence of breasts there was the absence of childhood.

Added to this, men who buy sex are obsessed with the act of despoilment; they are, as a group, blatantly obsessed with the desire to fuck the youngest girl they can find. The upshot of this of course is that there is great commercial value placed on youth in prostitution. I have thought at length and written a little about Prostitution and the Commercial Value of Youth, and I know both that this exists as a reality in prostitution and that is speaks with great clarity to the putrid sexual selfishness I’ve just mentioned.

So adolescents are fair game in prostitution; I’ve made my point, but it’s important also to look at an uncanny resemblance here: adolescence is the physical reality, the mirror image made flesh and form, of that place where a woman is halfway between being prostituted and being trafficked. That point where women go to other countries knowing they’ll be working in the sex trade, but not knowing what that reality really means, or not knowing that they’ll be charged four and five figure sums for the privilege of their prostitutions organisation. This is another of prostitutions in-betweens. They exist in various forms, and very often these mid-spectrum situations are misrepresented and then misappropriated so that they can be used to gloss over the reality of the sex trade. For example those women who are working back thousands of euros/dollars/pounds of money they supposedly ‘owe’ are not classified as trafficking victims, although that is what they are. The sex industry calls them ‘independent escorts’ and ignores and erases the misery of their lives.

In the same way, people who live prostitution during the transition between childhood and adulthood must be mislabelled and filed away, inconvenient as they are. They must be either a child or an adult according to the sex industry, and also, disturbingly, to some anti-trafficking groups. Some groups decide to find a way around this by subdividing adolescence into stages where those from twelve to fourteen are deemed worthy of sympathy and attention, while fifteen to seventeen-year-olds are brushed to one side with the gut-churning excuse that they have so much more ‘personal agency’.

When, I would like to ask the senior members of these groups, did my personal agency begin? Because by their criterion it seems to me it began at the stroke of midnight as I entered my fifteenth year, which makes me feel like a very sorry version of Cinderella; except the slipper in this fairytale was never going to fit because it had been shattered, and believe me, Prince Charming was nowhere to be seen. I had no more personal agency at fifteen than I had the year before, in fact I had significantly less, because at fourteen I had only six months of homelessness behind me; at fifteen I had a year and a half. In homelessness your desperation increases with time, not decreases. If people think ‘personal agency’ always increases with the forward march of time they are lucky people who’ve never had to deal with the miserable conditions of their own lives intensifying with time, and they’re obviously so detached from that life experience they’ve never even considered it.

By drawing distinctions between trafficking and prostitution, between under and over eighteen, some well-intentioned anti-trafficking organisations acquiesce to the perpetuation of a system known to be extremely violent and damaging while continuing to stigmatise and blame most of its victims. This stigmatisation maintains the disempowerment and marginalisation of the same population these groups want to help. It also empowers the predators who prey on our most vulnerable, whether under or over eighteen.

FreeIrishWoman

ARTICLE 14

Prostitution and the Commercial Value of Youth – Posted on June 3, 2012

People who argue that prostitution would be free of coercion, trafficking, the exploitation of minors – and everything else that prevents it from being some kind of all-above-board consenting-adults-only autonomy party – are people who ignore one vital aspect of prostitutions reality. It is the commercial value of youth.

Just as in some actual industries, like modelling or professional dance, youth is highly prized among attributes. Unlike modelling or dance though, youth in prostitution is prized far above beauty and the fluidity of movement. In order to be most highly in demand in prostitution, you don’t need to be the prettiest flower in the field; you just need to be among the youngest. And what you can or cannot do with your body is irrelevant; it just matters that it hasn’t been on the planet for very long.

One of the commonest questions that comes through on any brothels phone line is ‘What age is the youngest girl you have?’ I could not count the times I have been asked that question, and I defy anybody who has answered a brothels phone to tell the blatant lie that it is not the commonest question they’ve been asked too.

The commercial value of youth is so profoundly built-in to prostitution that women routinely lie about their age in order to generate more business. The clients know this, of course, and even as women are shaving a few years off clients are adding a few on. ‘I’m twenty-six – I’ll tell him I’m twenty-three’ / ‘She’s twenty-three? – that means she’s twenty-six’.

Nobody’s fooling anybody here, and the only thing the whole pathetic charade is any good for is the revealing nature of what’s going on behind the pretence. What it reveals, of course, is that men who buy bodies for sex usually want to buy the youngest body they can find.

Last year it was reported to the BBC that prostitutes as young as thirteen were working the streets in Swindon, in the English county of Wiltshire. “Come here at the weekend and you’ll get 13-year-old girls to 19-year-old girls out here”, one prostitute told reporters.

When I read reports like these I just sigh. It tires me to pre-empt the shock people will express. It tires me to imagine that shock, whether it is genuine or not, because if it is genuine then that proves we have a long way to go in educating people about the reality of prostitution, and if it is not, well then, here is yet more in a tsunami of evidence that there are those who do not want the reality of prostitution understood.

Whenever any evidence of teenaged prostitution is revealed the pro-prostitution lobby move immediately to put forth the preposterous assertion that this town is somehow different or unique. The attitude is always either ‘thirteen-year-olds, good Lord, who ever heard of such a thing?’ – or ‘thirteen-year-olds, good Lord, we could clear up this situation if we legalised prostitution!’ – as if somehow the demand for adolescent bodies would vanish if only we’d make the sale of adult bodies okay!

Usually, however, they will simply deny that adolescent prostitution is widespread, or that adolescents are much in demand in the first place.

‘How do we know this is true?’ will come the query from the pro-prostitution lobby. It is not a query in the genuine sense of the word. A real query seeks an answer. This query seeks to obscure the same answer it purports to be seeking.

This will seem strange and confusing to some people. It is neither strange nor confusing to me; I’ve been exposed to the tactics of the pro-prostitution lobby for too long to be surprised or confused by these sorts of seemingly tangled and nonsensical tactics. What people need to understand is that they are not nonsensical. These are obscurest policies and they are purposeful and predictable, and when you understand their purpose you will have no problem predicting them too.

Their purpose is consistently the same; it is to deny and refute the sick and twisted nature of what actually goes on in prostitution. The truth they don’t want to you know is that men who pay for sex will most often opt to pay for a fifteen-year-old over a seventeen-year-old, a seventeen-year-old over a nineteen-year-old, a nineteen-year-old over a twenty-one-year-old, and so on and so forth.

Now, let me be very clear about this – I will be called a liar for having asserted the above. It will be said that I am trying to demonise punters, that I am telling lies about their preferences and proclivities. I wish I was. In my first year in prostitution, when I was fifteen-years-old, I was used by countless hundreds of men; I truly couldn’t say how many. I saw up to ten men a day so you may do the maths for yourself (the thoughts of doing that calculation disturbs me). As I stated in my Examiner article back in February, men were so obviously aroused by my youth it made them climax very quickly, so I soon learned to tell them how old I was in order to shorten the whole ordeal. I made it a policy; it was one of the first things I said when I got into the car – not that I needed to bring up the subject because it was usually one of the first questions asked of me.

In all those hundreds of men, one man, just ONE, turned his van around and brought me back to where he’d found me.

So yes, those who advocate for legalised or decriminalised prostitution will do their damnedest to obscure the truth about the high commercial value placed on young bodies in prostitution, all the while squawking ‘Where’s the evidence? Where’s the evidence?’ – like some kind of belligerent and demented parrot, with all the repetitiveness and severe comprehension issues you’d expect. All beak and no brains, in other words.

This is to be expected; of course the pro-prostitution lobby don’t want you to know that girls who are post-puberty by only a year or two are routinely lusted after, sought out, highly prized and then abused for enough years ‘till they’ve lost much of their commercial value. If that was widely known, it would do a great deal of damage to the autonomous, sexually-liberated, empowerment fantasy depiction they are consistently trying to peddle.

As for ‘Where’s the evidence?’ – I don’t need to ask that question. When I was a fifteen-year-old prostitute I was FAR more in-demand than I ever was as a twenty-two-year-old, even though at twenty-two I was slim, pretty, and an extremely youthful woman; but therein lay the problem. I was a woman.

There is huge emphasis placed on the commercial value of youth in prostitution. ‘The evidence’ is in every brothel and red-light zone in the land, and I know that because I lived the evidence.

A good blog post typifying a particular ‘staid’ type of sex worker who happened to start working out of necessity early from environmental issues, but has somehow remained in the field by choice while not liking the field too much. Perhaps some personal issues about being denied other opportuunities when younger. @FreeIrishWoman seems to enjoy the sense of indignation working as a sex worker and who knows in some twisted manner, gains strength at the cutting at the conscience of her clients one can read from the writing. The ethical hirers who do want 100% consensual and a clear conscience should give this particular worker a skip. The ‘mean’ lot who gravitate from morality to desire from religious probably, would doubtless be twice attracted. While sex would be available, sex positivism is not to be found here!

Decriminalising prostitution could mean better safety and improved relations with police for sex workers. A series of gang attacks on brothels in east London has triggered calls for changes to the prostitution laws after victims who reported knifepoint robberies said they ended up being threatened with prosecution. A police investigation has been launched as senior Labour and Conservative members of the London assembly and the English Collective of Prostitutes allege that violent crime is being given a lower priority than less serious sex offences.

The attacks highlight the growing debate over calls for New Zealand’s pioneering decriminalisation of sex work to be considered – an approach recently supported by the Association of Chief Police Officers. What is said by sex workers to be a spate of robberies – involving cash and jewellery – coincides with an increase in police raids on east London addresses being used as brothels before the 2012 London Olympics.

The first address targeted was in Barking, east London, on 6 December. A video showing five men apparently breaking into another house in the area being used by sex workers is also being studied by officers. The women who made the first complaint allege they recognise some of the gang members from the YouTube clip. In a third attack, at a different address, a woman who worked as a maid at a brothel is alleged to have been raped by the gang. None of the victims there reported the offence for fear of being charged by officers with living off the proceeds of prostitution; the police say they are so far unaware of this incident.

The ECP said changes to the law, in response to fears over the forcible trafficking of foreign sex workers into Britain, have made it more difficult for women to work together in houses for safety. A letter of complaint sent by Niki Adams, a leading ECP activist who works with Legal Action for Women, to the borough police commander in Barking last month, said the way the investigation into the first incident had been pursued had discouraged “sex workers from reporting attacks”. The letter continued: “The 6 December attack was at knifepoint and the women felt they had to try and protect themselves. They think the assailants may well be the same people who have robbed them before, who have got away with it, and so have returned and become more violent as they have got bolder.

“Targeting women for prosecution in this way undermines any attempts to catch those who attack and exploit sex workers … We are receiving reports of incidents where women have been attacked and their attackers have told them brazenly that they know women won’t dare go to the police.” Adams believes there may have been as many as 20 attacks in the area over the past two years. The Metropolitan police confirmed it was aware of the 6 December attack and the YouTube video and is investigating whether the attacks are linked. “We can confirm that we were called to an alleged incident of aggravated burglary at an address in Victoria Road, Barking,” a statement said.

“Patrolling officers arrived at the scene and were quickly accompanied by scene of crime officers and detectives from Barking and Dagenham CID. Detectives also visited the venue on a further occasion to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. “Unfortunately, those at the address were unwilling to substantiate the allegation or further assist with the investigation despite a number of attempts for them to do so. The case remains under investigation and should any further information come to light it will of course be vigorously pursued.” The force said “a notice has been served to the registered owner of the venue in Victoria Road under the auspices of section 33a of the Sexual Offences Act 1956. The notice formally notified the recipient that they were liable to prosecution should the premises in Victoria Road remain in use as a brothel”. Referring to the YouTube video, the police said: “We are looking to see if the attacks are linked. Officers take any such reports extremely seriously and actively encourage all members of the community, particularly those who may be vulnerable to such incidents, to come forward and contact police. “Officers at Barking and Dagenham work hard to ensure that the borough remains a safe place for all residents. The welfare of victims remains our primary concern and we acknowledge that some members of the community are more vulnerable and susceptible to crime. “We strive to encourage and support female victims and to assist us further we are in the process of launching a bespoke multi-agency victim care service. This will see female victims receiving the best possible support and will include fast-track referrals to housing and health professionals as well as Safer Neighbourhood reassurance intervention.”

Prostitution itself is not illegal but associated activities – such as kerb crawling, placing advertising cards in phoneboxes and working in premises with more than one person available for paid sex – are outlawed.

Last November Simon Byrne, Acpo’s lead officer on prostitution and sexual exploitation, suggested there was a need for a fresh look at the legal balance. Then deputy chief constable of Greater Manchester, Byrne is in the process of moving to the Met as assistant commissioner. “There is a great amount of academic research available, much of which supports the view that an alternative approach is needed,” he wrote on his official Acpo blog. “An example would be the decriminalisation and regulation of brothels in Australia and New Zealand, not an answer to all of the related issues but certainly a solution to some.

“More of those involved in sex work in Australia and New Zealand can now access health services with ease, whilst maintaining more personal security in an emotive area for policing.”

Another proponent of reform is Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London assembly. “The law is framed so as to put women [sex workers] into the most vulnerable position,” he said. “The changes brought in by the last government seemed to [be derived from] the view that every single worker in the sex trade was trafficked. “People are not willing to come forward over these attacks. When they report them, the women themselves have had action taken against them. I’m compiling a report on the problem for Boris Johnson.”

Len Duvall, the leader of the Labour group at the London assembly, said: “We need to examine in greater detail information and case studies from those countries that have sought to legalise prostitution, including the model put forward by New Zealand, especially if it provides a degree of protection for sex workers and reduces crimes associated with prostitution.

“Where brothels have not posed a problem to the wider community and there has been no evidence of sex trafficking, I have heard evidence that the police have taken an inconsistent and heavy-handed approach in dealing with sex workers. There is also evidence that crimes against sex workers are being ignored.”

Earlier this month, Sheila Farmer, a sex worker who operated with other women out of shared premises, had charges of brothel-keeping against her dismissed at Croydon crown court. The Crown Prosecution Service said there had been no change in enforcement policy; the unexpected failure of a witness to appear led to the charge being withdrawn. Farmer said she had chosen to work with other women for safety because she had been attacked previously when working alone.

Nigel Richardson, the solicitor who represented her, said he was aware of another case in Surrey where women had reported an attack on their flat from a rival operation. “They were visited by two men who threatened the women and were pouring petrol around the place,” he said.

“My client called the police. Officers intially took the attack very seriously but eventually arrested my client. The men were never brought to book for an assault but my client was prosecuted for running a brothel.”

Tim Barnett, the British-born former New Zealand MP who pushed through his adopted country’s decriminalisation legislation in 2003, was in London before Christmas where he briefed Boff and Duvall. “We said let’s make the law the best to minimise harm,” he said at the time. “We set up a review of the legislation. A number of people said the number of sex workers would rise.

“So we reviewed it after five years in 2008. The review didn’t find any increase and there was an improvement in the relationship with the police. Sex workers were using their rights under the legislation to deal with poor-quality brothel owners or clients who had been behaving abusively.”

Think deeper and not be influenced by the agenda laden NPPs . . . this is NOT to be used as ‘proof’ of support of rape. This is the offense that might cause rape . . .

ARTICLE 16

NHS doctors to be forced to work weekends for the first time in push for improved seven-day a week care – by Daily Mail Reporter – PUBLISHED: 15:45 GMT, 16 December 2012 | UPDATED: 23:19 GMT, 16 December 2012

Oupatients appointments and surgical procedures could be carried out on Saturdays and Sundays for the first time
The shake up is part of plans by Sir Bruce Keogh, medical director of the new NHS Commissioning Board

Seven days: Sir Bruce Keogh plans to introduce seven day working to the NHS

Doctors could be forced to work at weekends under plans to create a health service with supermarket-style opening hours.

Sir Bruce Keogh, the NHS’s medical director, said that patients, like shoppers, should be entitled to the same quality of service on Saturday and Sunday as during the week.

He said it was no longer acceptable for hospitals and GPs’ surgeries to operate for the convenience of their staff at the expense of patients and that clinics and day case operations should be available seven days a week.

It should also be possible to get weekend hospital appointments for scans and GPs should provide slots to treat patients at weekends, he said.

The proposal is to be considered by the NHS Commissioning Board in an effort to improve access to healthcare.

He told the Sunday Times: ‘Our system has been based around providing as good a working environment as you can for the people who work in the health service, which isn’t necessarily matched with what the people who want services have.

‘If you wanted a day case operation, and you didn’t want to take a day off work, why can’t you have it on a Saturday or Sunday?’

‘Tesco have had to go through this – it was a complex issue for them – we will need to look at the terms and conditions or service of people.’

He added that having empty clinics and operating theatres on a Saturday and Sunday is a waste of NHS resources.

Research by the board found that a patient admitted to hospital on a Sunday was 16 per cent more likely to die than if they were admitted on a Wednesday.

Keogh can introduce the changes and implement financial rewards and penalties to ensure that hospitals follow the guidelines.

Contract changes: Many medical professionals will have to work Saturdays and Sundays for the first time

The plans will no doubt anger doctors who will be keen to protect their current working hours.

Medical professionals will not receive any extra money for working weekends but will be given days off in the week instead.

The proposals will be fully outlined in the NHS Commissioning Board’s first planning guidance which will detail how health funds will be spent ahead and which will be released on Tuesday.

The British Medical Association (BMA) last night rejected the idea that that the medical profession could learn from private firms such as Tesco but it was ‘open’ to discussing seven day working.

How to charge for medical treatment.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Try this. Instead of all doctors having Saturdays and Sundays off, some doctors could have Mondays and Tuesdays off, then the overlap from different shift doctors should cover everything.

Day shift should focus on geriatrics and paediatrics (adult people working will put off visits to nighttime and will not visit during the day) while evening shift will be more popular for the adults. Midnight shift should have the least staff (most people sleeping), though everyone not of the above groups might visit, emergency services from racers gettti8ng into accidents and drunks getting into fights will make up the most of this shift. The fact that the one can get medical aid 24/7 makes for a safer feeling in any district overall.

ARTICLE 17

Is this the end of paper banknotes? Plastic version could be in your pocket in just three years – by Rebecca Evans – PUBLISHED: 00:04 GMT, 17 December 2012 | UPDATED: 00:04 GMT, 17 December 2012

Overhaul could see environmentally-friendly notes introduced from 2015
Have proved a success since being introduced in Australia in 1988
Plastic lasts much longer and are more hygienic but more expensive to make

Plastic banknotes are set to be introduced in Britain, replacing the paper money used for more than 300 years.

The radical overhaul could see the more durable, waterproof and harder-to-counterfeit polymer sterling notes in circulation within three years.

The Bank of England has put out a £1billion tender from 2015 for the printing of notes at its press in Debden, Essex.

Paper money could be replaced within three years after being used for more than three centuries

Part of this process demands that bidders are able to cope with the change from paper to plastic from the start of the contract.

Since 2003, the contract has been held by De La Rue – one of only two makers of polymer notes.

The company, which prints more than 150 currencies, has just produced new plastic banknotes for the Pacific island of Fiji.

Plastic notes were first introduced in Australia in 1988 as a measure against counterfeiting.

They have proved a success, and are apparently particularly popular with surfers who are able to keep money in their pockets without it disintegrating.

Other countries to issue polymer notes include New Zealand, Romania, Papua New Guinea, Mexico and Vietnam. In Northern Ireland, a plastic fiver was introduced in 1999 to mark the Millennium.

The Bank’s chief cashier Chris Salmon has already said plastic notes were being looked at as a possibility to replace paper money

Plastic notes last much longer than cotton fibre-based paper ones. For instance, an Australian $5 bill lasts about 40 months, against six months for a £5 note.

Polymer notes are more hygienic as they absorb fewer bacteria, harder to tear or crease – making them easier for vending machines – and waterproof, even able to survive being put in the washing machine.

A key feature is a clear window, which normally contains an ‘optical variable device’ that splits light into its component colours and is extremely hard to counterfeit. Plastic notes can also contain holograms.

They are also more environmentally friendly as fewer need to be produced and they can be recycled.

However, they are considerably more expensive to produce and would create an initial cost as ATMs and vending machines would have to be adapted to accept them.

The Bank’s chief cashier Chris Salmon had already revealed it was investigating the possibility of polymer or plastic-coated banknotes.
‘Today I’m going to make some £20 notes out of this old plastic washing-up bottle’

It is understood that the Bank will initially introduce lower denominations, such as the fiver, which are in wider use so become dog-eared more rapidly.

De La Rue’s chief executive Tim Cobbold said: ‘If you think about the life of a banknote, it takes quite a hammering.

‘It’s being folded, it’s being crunched, it’s in and out of wallets and it could be in the wet or dry.’

But financial expert David Buik, of the retail and trading services firm Cantor Index, believes the conversion to plastic notes should not be rushed.

‘I think it’s something that needs to be more carefully thought out,’ he said.

‘Money laundering is a huge problem and if the security measures introduced could be used to make notes more traceable, then that would be very good.

‘But it needs to be applied internationally, the major countries all need to be singing from the same hymn sheet.’

A spokesman for the Bank of England said: ‘No definite decisions have been taken yet but the Bank is considering all options.’

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Paper 300 years? Try precious metals 3000 or more years. Barter possible more than 30,000 . . . Parallel currencies in PM used in the manner of barter should put an end to the plastic note b.s.. Make your own localised currency citizens! Stop ceding economic control to central national banks.

As the 13th General Elections draws near, UMNO has been showing signs of being increasingly insecure and uncertain about its future hold on power.

Being unable to counter our ideas and policies in a constructive way, it has instead launched a relentless campaign of hate and fear mongering. With the mainstream media at its complete disposal, UMNO is using every trick in the book to sow racial discord and instil fear among the people of the consequences that will befall them when Pakatan Rakyat comes to power.

Lies and May 13 scare-mongering

The just-concluded UMNO General Assembly provided yet another pretext to go on overdrive in this offensive of lies and intimidation led by Prime Minister and UMNO President Dato’ Seri Najib Razak. We condemn his reckless statement that Malaysia will lose its sovereignty in three years after Pakatan Rakyat takes over. The idea is sow the seeds of distrust among the people that Pakatan Rakyat leaders are traitors who will pawn the nation’s sovereignty for political power. Citing no facts nor providing any evidence, Najib’s scurrilous suggestion is therefore totally unfounded and can only be made by someone who has neither respect for the truth nor any sense of moral rectitude.

As a prelude to this loss of power scenario, delegates were also falling over each other in raising the spectre of a repeat of May 13th riots if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power. We understand that Wanita chief Dato’ Seri Shahrizat Jalil is trying to revive her political career having been forced to resign as minister by the multimillion ringgit NFC scandal. But to resort to such low hand tactics is inexcusable. To bring back the ghost of May 13th is to attempt to sow animosity among the races particularly between the Malays and the non-Malays and to spread fear among the people of violence and bloodshed if UMNO loses power. This is not only reckless but highly seditious and therefore criminal.

REAL THREAT

It is clear that Pakatan Rakyat has emerged as a real threat to the UMNO-Barisan Nasional hegemony and this has caused guns for hire to make blatant allegations about our leaders acting as proxies for foreign powers with me being singled out as proxy apparently for both the United States and China at the same time! While we may laugh away this non-sensical allegation, the fact is that with the nation-wide print and electronic media completely under its control, UMNO is spreading this lie with the intensity and ferocity that would make Goebbels proud. Employing the method of spreading ‘the big lie’ by constant repetition, the media attempts to paint a scenario of the country facing financial doom and under the control of foreign powers if Pakatan Rakyat takes over.

The UMNO media is also stoking the fire of communal and religious discord publishing the inflammatory racist statements of delegates. The fear mongering in this regard centres on making Muslims feel that Islam will be undermined if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power. According to UMNO, only they are the champions of Islam, not KEADILAN or even PAS. Thus, they spread the lie that apostasy cases will increase and that Malaysia may be turned into a Christian state if UMNO loses power.

Low caliber personal attacks

Najib’s keynote address in the UMNO General Assembly was full of vitriolic against Pakatan Rakyat and personal attacks against its leaders, me in particular in language totally un-befitting a statesman. Should the rakyat continue to bear with leadership of such caliber? What is the policy of the Umno president going forward for the nation? Where are the blue prints for the economy and social justice, for health care, housing and education? Najib must stop this campaign of lies and intimidation.

If he has valid issues with Pakatan Rakyat, then he should accept my invitation for a debate so that all Malaysians will be given the opportunity to see for themselves who is lying and who is telling the truth. Stop hiding behind the protective wall of your propaganda machinery and taking potshots at Pakatan Rakyat and me.

Man up to your position as Prime Minister and face me in the ring!

Anwar Ibrahim is the Leader of the Malaysian Opposition & PKR MP for Permatang Pauh

;to make the opposition disappear. If the opposition makes clear on the above as well though, Najib indeed will have a tough time and who knows be on that slippery Scorpene and Altantuya slope to political and social oblivion . . . as for Anwar, the Rakyat should know that ccording to some sources, only 8% of PKR members vioted for the current PKR Committee. This means that 92% of the PKR members which might not even want some people in the committee (the whole of Anwar’s family is in the committee btw – NEPOTISM) either were not given time to select the committee or were intentionally left out or worse still, did not care at all. On PKR’s part, no attempt was made to ensure that the members voted, possibly because if 92% of those left out voted, Anwar, family blocs and Anwar cliques in PKR might not even make it to the PKR committee which uses the undemocratic practice of CHOOSING who gets to run in what constituency. If no honest attempt is made to revote at at least 66.6% quorum, PKR might as well be deregistered as a political party or the ROS could penalise PKR for having a committee which was not voted at a 66.6% quorum as per democratic principles recognized worldwide. PKR is a very slipshod run political party. Man up and face in the ring? Tak a look at that 8% quorum backyard first . . . what are the 92% saying?

ARTICLE 2

Child marriages: Rethinking the issue — Art Harun – December 04, 2012

DEC 4 — Child marriage has somewhat become something of a phenomenon in Malaysia.

In a New Straits Times report dated June 13, 2010 (republished by asiaonenews), the following was published:

“….according to the 2000 Census, there were 11,400 children below 15 years of age who were married — 6,800 girls and 4,600 boys. Of the 6,800 girls, only 2,450 were Malay. This means that the syariah court gave its consent to each of these 2,450 underage girls to get married.

“The remainder of 4,350 girls were non-Malays comprising 1,550 other Bumiputeras, 1,600 Chinese, 600 Indians, and 600 others. It is not known whether they had got their licence from the relevant minister, but even if they did, it would have been illegal, since there are no legal provisions for a non-Muslim under 16 years to get married.”

The report added:

“Last year,(2009) 479 children under 15 years, two of them boys, were getting ready to tie the knot. And 32 of them were below 10 years. None of them were found to be HIV-positive.

“This is based on Health Ministry statistics of premarital HIV screening for Muslims, a compulsory requirement for those wanting to get married.

“However, it is not certain if any of these applications for marriage were approved by the state religious department.”

The legal age for marriage for non-Muslims in Malaysia is 18 years old. For Muslims, however, the legal age is 16 years old. However, in the case of Muslims in Malaysia, the syariah courts are empowered to allow marriages of children who are under 16 years of age.

There are alarming and disconcerting reports about child marriages in Malaysia. In early 2010, there were reports of two marriages involving 10- and 11-year-old girls married off to men in their 40s in Kelantan. The 11-year-old was later found in a state of shock. The syariah courts later ruled the marriages illegal. The ground for illegality however was not based on whether there was adequate consent from the children or on their respective age but was rather based on procedural non-compliance.

Child marriages, particularly among Muslims in Malaysia, although not a societal norm, are however a socially acceptable practice among a section of the society. Mass weddings involving children are, for instance, carried out. The state lends its approval and sanction either by publicising such weddings on the front page of its mainstream newspapers or by its leaders attending such weddings. In December 2010, for instance, a 14-year-old girl participated in such wedding by marrying a 23-year-old teacher. This was widely reported.

Recently, the syariah court granted permission to a father to marry off his 12-year-old daughter to a 19-year-old boy. In the application for permission, it was cited that the girl had run away to stay with her boyfriend and refused to come home. Marriage was, apparently, the only solution to solve the problem and to protect the family’s honour and reputation.

If only life was that simple.

Let’s consider what the laws of this country say about children under 18 or 16. They can’t enter into a binding contract save for those which affect their necessities. They can’t even buy tobacco products and alcohol. They can’t have a driving licence. They can’t watch movies of certain types without an adult accompanying them. They cannot be contractually employed. They surely can’t vote in a general election. They also cannot enter clubs. Generally, a boy or man can’t have sexual relationship with any girl of 16 or less even with her consent. That would be statutory rape.

Why is that? That is because the law assumes that a girl or any person, regardless of gender, of less than 18 year old (or 16 in the case of statutory rape) is not able to give free consent. For the uninitiated, free consent is a necessary element in a contract or in sexual acts in order to determine whether the acts constitute rape or otherwise.

Regardless of the above, strangely, sexual acts involving girls of 16 or less will be all right and completely legal if she is legally married! The law is indeed an ass!

If children under 18, or as the case may be 16 years of age, are presumed by law not to be able to give free consent to enter into a contract or to have sexual relationship — or to exercise proper judgment whether or not to buy tobacco products or alcohol — on what premise does the state legalise such sexual acts through a state-sanctioned marriage?

What is most unsatisfactory about the marriage of the 12-year-old is the blatant transfer and absolution of parental responsibilities by the parents and the courts to the 19-year-old groom as well as the 12-year-old bride. Reading the case, the first question which crept up in every reasonable person would be, “how can a 12-year-old girl have a boyfriend?” And “how can a 12-year-old run from home to be with her 19-year-old boyfriend?” Then, we would ask “what will happen to the 12-year-old after her marriage?” “How is she going to cope with all the responsibilities that come with a marriage?” “Can she be a good mother?” “Can the 19-year-old support his family?”

On July 19, 2012, Malaysia ratified the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child with the following reservations:

“The Government of Malaysia accepts the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child but expresses reservations with respect to articles 2, 7, 14, 28 paragraph 1 (a) and 37, of the Convention and declares that the said provisions shall be applicable only if they are in conformity with the Constitution, national laws and national policies of the Government of Malaysia.”

The Convention defines a child as “every human being below the age of eighteen years unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.”

Article 18 provides:

“States Parties shall use their best efforts to ensure recognition of the principle that both parents have common responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the child. Parents or, as the case may be, legal guardians, have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child. The best interests of the child will be their basic concern.”

Article 19 provides:

“States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.”

In view of the aforesaid provisions, which we as a nation have chosen to accept without reservation, it is thus with a degree of perplexity that child marriages, even involving girls as young as 12, are taking place without nary a thought on the welfare of the child and the responsibilities of her parents.

Corrigendum

In “Secular on Non-secular — what history tells us”, I have reproduced a section of the Reid Commission report with a sentence unintentionally omitted. I wish to take responsibility and apologise for that omission. The particular section should read as follows (with the omitted part in bold):

“We have considered the question whether there should be any statement in the Constitution to the effect that Islam should be the State religion. There was universal agreement that if any such provision were inserted it must be made clear that it would not in any way affect the civil rights of non-Muslims. In the memorandum submitted by the Alliance it was stated — ‘the religion of Malaysia shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practising their own religion and shall not imply that the State is not a secular State’.” — art-harun.blogspot.com

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Law is artificial and is not higher than the law governing 2 individuals in what they decide with each other. Sama suka sama (this is Malay for consensual and mutual) is more important than all of the above and can overrule the mere word of law being as aspect of law via spirit of law. A mob of hantu in British smocks (i.e. judges – being rhetorical here) have no right to pressure the young lovers who’s young tender minds doubtless will be impacted by the sheer pathos of society and the false ethos of Syariah or Civil court over emotions between 2 people. The statuary rape concept is nonsense so long as there was genuine love between any persons in any cases. And this is the law of ‘god’ or ‘nature’.

Much like sexuality, attraction is natural or god given, and a whole mob of adults in society should never have any say. As for finance etc.. the state can easily handle that instead of enriching politicians and cronies. The funds should go to allowing these very young couples to set up home etc.. As in normal adult cases, sometimes there will also be divorces, but divorce or even break ups is a mechanism of the environment and people around them influencing them. Without any external influence whatsoever, normal marriage ages should drop drastically which looks like that is what nature intended.

The issue is to ensure the instance education begins for a child that relationships especially life relationships like marriage are taught to them and even citing good yet very clear negative and positive examples of marriage and what entails so that a few months after your child can read and write they will know all the basics but yet also not be influenced. That is why we have PUBLIC EDUCATION, to ensure the insanity of the parent’s marital lives or society’s sexual taboos do not colour the children’s ability to be independent.

The use of the law as above is vicious and manipulative and needs amending.

PETALING JAYA, Dec 4 — The family of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was linked today to a company that supplies the controversial digital electricity meters to Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) alleged to have hiked up energy consumption bills and gained the national utility company billions of ringgit in profit.

According to PKR’s investment bureau chief Wong Chen, Noor Asiah Mahmood, who is the younger sister to Abdullah’s (picture) first wife, the late Tun Endon Mahmood, owns Ombata-Ambak Holdings Sdn Bhd, which has a 15 per cent share in Malaysian Intelligence Meters Sdn Bhd, the latter which is one of five companies contracted by TNB to supply the new digital meters.

Wong alleged that the programme to switch analogue power meters for digital ones had showed consumers would be contributing RM6.88 billion to TNB’s profit over the course of 10 years. The programme has been stopped temporarily on the orders of Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui since October.

“Our research shows TNB has 8.03 million consumers now and the average price for each meter is RM250, therefore this programme had the potential to reach RM2 billion.

“For the financial year 2012, TNB’s revenue from all consumers is RM34.4 billion, if the electronic meter had given a conservative raise of two per cent, the additional burden on consumers would be as much as RM688 million a year.

“Seeing as the life expectancy of this meter is only 10 years, consumers would ultimately have to pay as much as RM6.88 billion to TNB for that duration,” Wong told a news conference at the opposition party’s headquarters here.

PKR strategy director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who was also present, said the issue was not a small matter as consumers would have to pay up to 50 per cent of the cost of their power bills.

“Therefore, PKR urges TNB to be transparent and responsible in this matter to reveal who are the electronic meter suppliers, the price paid for the meters and whether it was competitively priced at local and international standards, and whether an open tender had been called or was it a direct negotiation?” Nik Nazmi asked.

The Seri Setia state lawmaker also called for TNB to fund an independent body to investigate consumer complaints on the new meters and to act on the findings that bind the utility company to consumers.

Last October, Chin said TNB had halted the replacement of analogue electricity meters with electronic meters until a standard operating procedure could be fixed.

He had made the decision after receiving public complaints saying power consumption had spiked after switching to the new digital meters, causing them to be also billed “retrospectively”.

“This operation will go on but our main task is to educate people on the new meter,” the minister had said then.

However, Chin had said replacing the analogue devices with the new meters would continue for households where the electricity meters were damaged or suspected to have been tampered with, resulting in losses.

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The B*!@#$%s had everything, society gave them all the power to help the nation, believed in their goodness, yet greed still could reach these spiritually weak willed and corrupted men :

i) political power in the (greedy?) bid for PM, cost perhaps B*!@#$%’s mother

Those who keep taking and never regarding those who help them, will never be have enough to pay from places where they have never and do not deserve to work, when time to collect comes. Some of us ‘work’ harder than most, some of the worst just take the efforts, and give away the nation’s treasures and harm the country despite everything. Only the deserving should be given high position – on a net tally, B*!@#$% has harned the nation and done less than what the lowliest street sweeper does for a living . . . and I won’t even get into KJ (and the 4th floor boys) as well . . . Forced Military Conscriptions btw were implemented during B*!@#$%s watch, this is the classic example of the smiling crocodile politician, very disappointing and hopefully not characteristic of the Malays as a race.

ARTICLE 4

GO ON LEAVE, Hisham told – Monday, 03 December 2012 16:06

Former inspector general of police Musa Hassan’s claim of interference by Home minister Hishamuddin Hussein in police affairs has been described as serious, and as such PAS Youth said the latter must go on leave pending a probe.

“Hishamuddin should be a gentleman and emulate Shahrizat (Abdul Jalil, Wanita UMNO head) who took leave following the National Feedlot Corporation scandal,” said PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan.

Musa last week dropped a bombshell ahead of the 66th UMNO general assembly accusing Hishamuddin of violating police protocols by giving instructions to junior police officers and a district police chief without his knowledge.

“So, I highlighted to him (Hishammuddin) Section 4 (1) of the Police Act (1967, which says) that the command and control of the police is by the IGP and not the minister. Of course, I cannot be rude to him as (he is) a minister. I talked to him nicely. He didn’t like it,” said Musa.

Hishamuddin sidestepped the allegation saying it was Musa’s ploy to divert attention from the UMNO meeting.

Musa however dismissed Hishamuddin’s claim as a personal opinion.

Nasrudin meanwhile called for the establishment of an independent commission to investigate Musa’s allegation.

He hoped the police would protect the people “based on law instead of protecting (a) political party by following its instruction blindly”.

-Harakahdaily

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Good. ‘Rule-of-law’ is taking out the political-bureaucracy as well. The judiciary should learn from Musa and take out the obvious among politicians who have harmed the nation – by Human Rights principles, an ex-Police Chief could by popular revolt overturn a government (presumably in Malaysia’s case to grant the below 3 items) as per the Human Rights Charter and Islamic principles of non-discrimination and non-disenfranchisement – to ah . . . ‘protect the minorities’ Human Rights‘ and ‘dignify properly practiced Islam‘ . . . ahem.

The international community is behind both police and judiciary if such actions were taken, and that makes Bar Council a farce for not acting before I posted this and several earlier comments. What happened in some of our lives really? Decades long audits of the system? Looks like the political bunch had better be serious in the future, in any case term limits as well. Perhaps the police could turn the tables on the REAL criminals of the country.

PAS should know that every ethical act they do is being cancelled by every Islamist action of abuse against especially non-Muslims PAS makes. PAS is not moving forward at all and confirms PAS’s use of ethics as an expedient (PAS seems to have no love or understanding of ethics and principles, but knows the value of using the same.) counter-apologist actions to balance Islamism, which is not what almost all Malaysians want. Perhaps PAS is not a political party and more a religious organisation that should go to Al Azhar at Cairo to learn about separation of faith and state.

Sultans know the difference even as Sultans themselves have most probably tacitly approved Malaysia’s other great flaw . . . the APARTHEID OF BUMIPUTRA by not taking initiatives in starting a Royal commission to grant the above 3 items :

Keep selling out human rights principles and accepting inequality as normal, and in the end Kaveas will not deserve to be a HUMAN. (Hate to sound ‘spiritually racist’, but caste stature cannot be erased apparently even with all the wealth and stature in the temporal world that Kaveas has) to accept such status as 2nd class citizens is surely a sign of lower caste ancestry . . . only equality is acceptble . . . ) Traitor to the UN and traitor to the idea of equality and ‘The Enlightenment’ which would never accept the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTRA.

KUALA LUMPUR- DAP chairman Karpal Singh is deeply touched by the apology made by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia to him on Thursday, the last day of the August house sitting.

Karpal who is Bukit Gelugor Member of Parliament said this in a statement here today.

In reciprocal, he also asked for forgiveness for the many transgression in which an apology was due from him to Pandikar Amin.

On Thursday, Pandikar Amin apologised to Karpal over his spontaneous remarks that the MP might have been suffering from pain for not raising his hand when taking oath as an MP.

The incident happened at the beginning of the 12th parliament session on April 28, 2008 and Pandikar Amin in his apology said that he only found out later that Karpal could not raise his hand.

Pandikar Amin also said the remarks was made when he was still new and had no intention to hurt anyone and he would feel bad if he did not apologise to Karpal.

— BERNAMA

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Whats ‘touching’ (being sarcastic here) is that Karpal’s physical pain is more important than the meaning of the MP’s post, and the fact that Pandikar Amin is effectively on the side of those that will not grant :

A$$ hurting? Aww poor baby. Remember we still live under apartheid and not be swayed by sweet nothings . . . Karpal is getting old and weak no? Replacement time . . . No need to ‘sayang’ whatever injuries . . . the best apology would be to END APARTHEID and a timely snap back along these lines from Karpal would have been better for the Rakyat than this maudlin sentimentality. Term limitless, nepotistic colluding MPs on BN and Pakatan sides who care more about this sort of sandiwara are the worst kind of politician. Politicians are disposable, get in there for your 1 term and 23K x 4 years of salaries (thats near 1 million btw), amend some laws and get out, we don’t need this sort of old friends among term limitless dictators and nepotists pathos to muddy the voter’s minds with regards the above 3 items.

Najib asked voters to give BN more time to execute the changes it has planned for the country. — Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 ? Again calling for change in Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today voters are choosing Pakatan Rakyat (PR) because they want to send a message to the ruling coalition.

“The message is for us to change as a party,” the BN chairman said while launching the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) annual general meeting (AGM) here.

“They want BN as a party to be more fair, inclusive, and so that every citizen of Malaysia will receive equal treatment and benefits from BN.”

The prime minister’s remarks came after PPP president Datuk Seri M. Kayveas’s address, in which the latter said voters are flocking to PR because they are “worried” by perceived discrimination and prejudice under BN’s rule.

Fresh from closing Umno’s annual assembly here yesterday, Najib again called on voters to give BN more time to renew itself by supporting it in the polls.

“We’re in the process of renewal. Real changes are taking place in Malaysia.

“Real changes are taking place while the same party is in power in Malaysia,” the Umno president said.

Najib also criticised the “Ubah” (change) slogan touted by DAP and PR, comparing their call for change to the recent “Arab Spring” revolution.

“If we change, are we sure we’re getting something better?

“(The people involved in Arab Spring) are not enjoying the ‘spring weather’. They’re still in the winter of discontent,” Najib said.

The prime minister said that the revolutions in the Middle East had caused the countries involved to lose out on tourism and currency exchange, as well as suffer declines to their security.

But Najib also confessed that winning the next general election will not be easy, saying that voters’ opinions were now easily swayed by current issues.

“Before this, we can just put a songkok (to contest) and we would still win.

“Now we need to read the desires of the public, understand the wishes of the people.”

Najib then appeared to criticise grassroots leaders for failing to disseminate the aspirations of the BN administration effectively, leading to problems with perceived discrimination and prejudice.

“The problem is not at the top, the problem is on the ground.

“These people must try to understand what the government wants. If we say we must treat every citizen equally, the whole system … must do that,” Najib added to applause from the floor.

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Najib then appeared to criticise grassroots leaders for failing to disseminate the aspirations of the BN administration effectively, leading to problems with perceived discrimination and prejudice. The problem is not at the top, the problem is on the ground.

“These people must try to understand what the government wants. If we say we must treat every citizen equally, the whole system … must do that,” Najib added to applause from the floor.

Politics should be about bettering civilian lives regardless of faith or ethnicity via honesty, and civilisational Islam (or any other religion), is not about crony laws and racial privileges. As mentioned elsewhere, were a screen applied to ensure meritocracy (to mask race), a translation machine (to mask language), and a voice modulator and distortion screen (to mask gender) applied at a job interview, we’d be surprised at the choices we make based on POLICY rather than race or religion.

Then the concept of NATION would be real. Right now the ‘needs basis’ is based around wrong things like religion and race or even gender ‘quotas’, which is very backward and insulting to the host race the Malays, disenfranchises the minorities, and men in general wherever quotas for women occur. Let the best people lead irrespective of faith gender or ethnicity, and let them be limited in terms AND chosen with the above tech applied so that the above racial or gender or religious cues will not affect choices. A first world ‘Meritocracy’ of logic and ability (as opposed to mob minded and pathos based DEMOCRACY of majority where the minority loses the rights to majority much like Morsi described – why can’t ALL RIGHTS be included in that sickening draft resolution that favours Islam so much?!? Egypt is NOT Islamist-Arabist, Egypt is Polytheistic AND uses Hieratic . . . Egyptians INVENTED BEER and also ate pork, Egypt was not Islamic UNTIL the Arabs militarily subjugated and conquered the Egyptians and destroyed and forbade Egyptian culture . . . ) must include :

If we say we must treat every citizen equally, the whole system BN must ensure the above 3 items with that mandate BN already has. If BN does not grant the above 3 items, there is no point giving that mandate to BN again in GE13. BN can make the choice to as PM Najib said, ‘. . . treat every citizen equally . . .’.

DEC 1 — The recently announced National Education Blueprint contains nothing new. And it shows the powers-that-be have no real intention to listen to the public or make any bold reforms to our ailing education system.

It is a repetition of the sad old story about racial prejudice, not much different from the so-called “National” Education Policy which was largely based on Umno’s Malay nationalist belief that the national language should be the sole medium of instruction.

Proponents of the Malay-medium-only policy also emphasise the Malay nationalist perspective of history that having one common language — such as in our neighbours Indonesia and Thailand — can save Malaysia from disintegration.

Racial prejudice and political demagoguery as the basis for our nation’s education agenda of true unity will not get us far. Let me prove how discriminatory is our education system and the false impressions that it projects.

How my friend succeeded in the US

I had a taste of victory for what it means to have “equal opportunities” in education about 30 years ago when I argued for admission, on behalf of a schoolmate, into an American university which has produced some Nobel laureates.

My friend was originally from Taiwan but studied in a Chinese independent secondary school in Malaysia. She did not sit for the SPM or UEC. To my surprise, the admission officer of the American university requested for UEC results in lieu of SPM qualifications.

She did not sit the UEC because the exam was still new at that time. After a long discussion, the admission officer agreed with my proposal that she be admitted conditionally on producing evidence of completing 12 years of primary and secondary education — a standard which almost all American universities and colleges go by.

She was then admitted “under probation” for one semester, meaning she would be considered a regular student after the period of study with a GPA of 2.0 and above (an average of C and above). She graduated eventually without any impediment.

Her experience goes to show how democratic, liberal and flexible the American education system is. This is one of the key factors that allow the United States to become the most technologically advanced country, and one to which many talents from other parts of the world choose to emigrate.

The value of the UEC

In the 1970s, nobody in Malaysia took the UEC exams seriously except for the powers-that-be which attempted to ban it on account that the exam was (perceived to be) “anti-national”.

Nonetheless besides Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore where the UEC was recognised, many American universities and colleges had already begun accepting it as a gateway for college admission. As far back as exactly 30 years ago, one of my classmates was admitted to the famed Massachusetts Institute of Technology based on her UEC results and Chinese independent school coursework assessments.

Would our public universities and UiTM open its admission policies and welcome UEC holders by integrating them into the mainstream higher education institutes rather than discriminating them? Some top American universities even admit Chinese independent secondary school students based on school results and class ranking without referring to standardised examinations such as SPM, UEC, GCE, SAT and the like.

Yet after 30 long years, our own Malaysian government still despises the UEC as “anti-national”. In fact, except for respective language subjects, all UEC subjects are offered in three languages, in other words, one can opt to have his maths, science or other papers tested in English, Malay or Chinese.

Chinese independent school graduates are barred from using their UEC results as a means of admission to local public universities and teacher training colleges. This discrimination is deemed necessary to maintain Umno’s self-righteous “National Education Policy” for the promotion of “interracial unity”.

How can political demagoguery such as Umno’s ever help in promoting national unity and interracial integration? One could argue that the party is actually more interested in maintaining its tight grip on power by continuing to mislead the country that vernacular schools somehow pose a hidden threat.

STPM and matriculation — apple and orange?

The powers-that-be have since declared that racial quotas are no longer applied in local public universities. Instead, they claim a “merit-based” admission system has been put in place.

However, at the same time, university admission standards are “diversified” into two separate entry points — STPM and matriculation.

After years of protests by the non-Malays, only 10 per cent of matriculation programmes has been opened up to the non-Bumiputeras, and even this percentage is described by the Malay nationalists as a “sell-out” of Malay rights.

Non-Malays are supposed to be grateful for this small “kindness”, like once upon a time coloureds were supposed to thank their white masters for allowing them to go to schools in apartheid South Africa despite great disparities along racial lines in school facilities.

Almost all the non-Malays who managed to gain a seat in local public universities are students who sat the STPM. Many rue this blatant division of university entrance assessment — de facto along racial lines — as comparing apples and oranges.

Satu Sekolah’s inherent contradiction

The authorities contradict themselves by professing a single-language system to promote national unity through putting children under one roof but at the same time segregating them either at Form 1 or when they finish Form 5.

There is an obvious discrepancy between the teaching facilities provided to the vernacular schools which sorely lack government aid and support and the residential schools and Mara junior science colleges as well as the elite schools catering for Malays — e.g. the prestigious Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) and Tunku Kurshiah College (TKC).

Institutional racism practised in public university admission routes gives rise to an added dimension of polarisation. The racial distribution of students is further exacerbated when non-Malays, erroneously seen as well-to-do, are enrolled in private higher institutions of learning. Most people seem to forget that privately funded education, whether locally or abroad, comes at a heavy cost to their parents.

The indirect makings of apartheid

To generalise most Malays as “poor” and all non-Bumis, particularly the Chinese, as “rich” is just as good as apartheid.

The Malay ultras believe they are above being associated with the apartheid system in South Africa created with the ostensible excuse of helping the “poor”, Dutch-speaking whites of that country.

But then what should the international community make of UiTM — Malaysia’s biggest public university with campuses in every state — where almost all its students belong predominantly to a single race?

In the former apartheid of South Africa and during the 1950s in the Confederate states of the American south, physical segregation was made visible by the sign saying “No Coloured and Dogs allowed”.

In Malaysia, there are no signs to say “No Non-Bumis and Dogs allowed”. However, de facto apartheid still permeates through the fabric of the Malaysian public education system. It is de facto racial segregation in its utmost hypocritical disguise without leaving any physical evidence.

Therefore, I see no difference between those poor whites in the former Confederate states of the American south that once held demonstrations against university admission of black students and those Malay ultras that hold demonstrations barring “non-Bumiputeras” from entering local public institutions.

UiTM students did after all demonstrate against their university opening its door a crack when Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim proposed relaxing the admission just a tiny bit to the so-called “non-Bumis”.

America’s highest court ruled for equality

In Brown vs Board of Education (1954), the US Supreme Court unanimously decided that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal”.

It stinks of double standards if not a glaring blind spot when vernacular schools keep getting blamed for institutional racism in Malaysia. If mother-tongue vernacular schools (open to all students) are incorrectly termed as racist, then the one-race UiTM is nothing but apartheid.

The old, presumed poverty line along the race divide is no longer valid, not when Malaysia has endured discriminative policies predicated on ethnicity since 1970, which is all of 42 years or almost half a century.

There are very few Malay intellectuals willing to tackle the truth of the matter but Dr Azly Rahman is one of them. At least he’s been honest and bold enough to speak out on the “bankrupt Umno ideology” of race supremacy in his article “Dismantle Our Apartheid Education”.

What is required is for more members of the Malay intelligentsia to question the veracity of a “moral” claim in the perpetuation of a quota system that amounts to apartheid. The only difference is that segregation, like that perpetuated by residential schools, Mara junior colleges and UiTM, is couched using terminology portraying a righteous morality.

The other difference is that Chinese schools are accessible to any non-Chinese but UiTM does not welcome the non-Malays. In some Chinese independent secondary schools, non-Chinese are given a blanket free tuition.

Are Malays courageous to re-evaluate?

The Malays are a strong majority in numbers and without doubt politically dominant. Why should Umno cling tenaciously to the view that preferential treatment based on race is the “affirmative action” that Malays still require?

Professor Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi in “Memories of Unity” vividly describes his confidence to compete in his science class and how he emerged one of the top students among his almost all Chinese classmates back in the 1970s.

I had a Malay classmate who went to the same Chinese independent school as I did. He graduated as one of the top students and went to a local public university, and he is currently a lecturer at another local public university.

It is a myth that Bumi students are unable to compete with non-Bumi students on a level playing field. This misconception is wrongly used to justify the institutional racism imposed on the public education from top to bottom.

There are tens of thousands of Malays who have made it in local and prestigious foreign universities and thrived in adverse sociocultural settings. There is no moral justification for segregating Malaysian post-secondary students into STPM/ matriculation except for satisfying Umno’s racial imperatives.

NEP and education apartheid

A few successful Malay billionaire cronies do not mitigate the failure with regard to certain protectionist areas of the NEP. This includes educational apartheid. The rejuvenation of the vernacular schools since the late 1970s when NEP went into full swing is a consequence of our race policies, and not the chief cause of racism.

The NEP was based upon the empirical generalisation that Chinese and Indian Malaysians were all well off and should be “positively discriminated” against in order to help the “poor Malays”.

It’s a different story today as the civil service has become Malay dominated and this is empirical truth. The tables have been turned as Malaysians of Chinese and Indian descent are marginalised.

The original purpose of the NEP to eradicate the identification of race with profession — Malay farmer, Chinese shopkeeper, Indian clerk — is sidetracked when the civil service has become wholly identified with the Malay race. The racial traits along professions, as reflected in the hiring practices of both the private and public sectors, have been deepened by the NEP.

When I recently requested some documents to be certified by a government department, the Malay clerk gave me a jealous one-eye wink knowing that it was for the purpose of applying to colleges in the US. The one-eye wink might perhaps have been nothing more than the coded message that all you “Chinamen” are rich and can afford to send your children overseas to be educated. This only goes to show up the failure of the NEP in correcting the racial prejudice among races in Malaysia.

How the Chinese prioritise education

The fact is that I told my children I would sell our house and live in a smaller one if we needed funds for their education. I mean education is where they would learn something new and be happy including getting away from institutional racism. We neither hope for JPA or any other government scholarships after hearing so many sad stories of racial degradation.

Selling homes and other property for the sake of children’s education among the lower and middle-class Chinese Malaysians is not a new practice. I remember my mother decided to sell off the six-acre rubber plantation left by my deceased father to put me and my sister through university.

She later worked as a babysitter to cover all our expenses studying overseas. We always thought that there might be more Malays who did not have land to sell. Nonetheless, our good reasoning has not helped many Malays to get rid of their own ingrained racial prejudice both against themselves and other races.

As I write this article, coincidentally, my 17-year-old daughter has just received news that a high-ranking American university has agreed to admit her into their Fine Arts programme based on her multiple talents, multilingual skills and ability to play the Chinese zither and flute. Some universities already made it clear, admitting her by waiving the requirement of her SPM or UEC results.

On the contrary, her talent in playing ancient Chinese musical instruments is definitely not a criterion for admission into any local public university. On the contrary, it may even work against her favour as it could be looked at as a form of Chinese chauvinism and clinging to our ancestral roots.

Deserving of places in local universities

I am not trying to boast about my daughter’s academic achievement. She is actually a B-average student but it sure makes a parent proud when one’s child deservedly gains recognition for her talents, and more importantly she will be able to further develop her talents without being labelled as a non-Bumi.

I am glad that her dedication to social work and extracurricular activities, including organising a joint concert of Chinese orchestra and western bands, won her recognition from some highly ranked American universities.

One of her recent achievements is receiving a gold medal in an international Chinese essay-writing contest in Taiwan. Instead of chucking her unique credential aside, an American university admission director gave great words of encouragement, such as “your family must be very proud of you (for the gold medal received) …We would like you to be with us, and I hope you will continue to contribute to the international programme here if you decide to join us”.

I was surprised that she was offered admission and given a partial academic scholarship before we even sent out applications to other American colleges and local private universities.

Some universities are amazed that our students can master two or three languages. They usually give positive encouragement like: “Considering English is your third language, your English is really good.” No parents will send their kid to a college where he or she faces the possibility of being humiliated and degraded on account of race, creed and “non-native status” when my daughter is actually a native-born fourth-generation Malaysian.

As a matter of fact, most UEC holders have a greater proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia, which is their second language, compared to English, which is their third language. If the UEC holders can do well in universities overseas that teach in English, why can’t they be given the same opportunities by our local public universities?

It might be true that their Bahasa Malaysia may not be as good compared with SPM/STPM holders just as their English may not be as good as the Americans, British or Australians when they enrol in American, Australian or British universities. However if they are given the opportunity to enrol in local public universities, they will be able to polish their BM just like how when given the opportunity to study abroad they are able to polish their English.

More importantly, such openness is needed in order to “converge” the vernacular school alumni into the local higher education institutions and complete an education integration process than forcibly “diverge” them to local private institutions and overseas colleges.

We have to be fair and realistic in assessing our students’ language ability based on what is the best they can do in their learning environment. In fact, cultural immersion is the best method to improve Malay language or any other second language proficiency instead of educational segregation like what has been practiced here.

Some 30 years ago, it was rare to encounter Americans learning an Asian language. Today there are American reporters who insist on interviewing me in perfect Mandarin or Bahasa Indonesia. It is a fast-changing world out there but it seems our Umno elites — with the exception of Najib Razak whose son is a fluent Mandarin speaker — are lagging behind time.

The very first step for the Malay ultras to take in the right direction is to cease making a scapegoat out of Chinese and Tamil primary schools. It is an unfounded charge that little children are responsible for racism and racial disunity in Malaysia.

It is, on the other hand, our fear to embrace cultural diversity and true interracial integration that has left us lagging behind many other countries. It is time for the Malay ultras to open their eyes and correct their ingrained prejudice that has worked against their own competitiveness. — CPI Asia

* This article was originally published by CPI Asia.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

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Is interracial integration more possible under convergence or divergence? — Boo Cheng Hau

How about stopping with the inculpation of hegelian dialectic Orwell state b.s. and understanding that EITHER / OR in this issue should be replaced with :

;and all groups will fall into the new line of EQUALITY. Without equality, there will be no integration much less INTERRACIAL integration.

. . . The very first step for the Malay ultras to take in the right direction is to cease making a scapegoat out of Chinese and Tamil primary schools. It is an unfounded charge that little children are responsible for racism and racial disunity in Malaysia. . . .

That is NOT a first step, that is LIP SERVICE because not scapegoating does not mean policy which scapegoats minority changes, a REAL furst step is granting the above 3 items and if the scapegoating continues at that point the policy of equality would easily overtake scapegoating which will just be bad form that Malaysians will not even care about that will mark the politican as a bad citizen instead. ctual policy is more important than what politicnas say to occupy the people. Looks like BN’s propagandists have exposed BN’s intentions – never to grant the above 3 items. If 3rd force doesn’t make GE13 in time, 3rd force had better be prepared for GE14 where the threat of NEPOTISM and LIMITLESS TERMS, and STATE COLLUSION in GLC and crony contractors in Pakatan Rakyat will be the greatest threat EVEN as the above 3 items are not even granted by Pakatan’s discussions so far. End the APARTHEID of BUMIPUTRA and give freedom of religion to the Malays. Going apostate in Islam IS NOT PUNISHABLE and should not mean Bumi Privileges will be withdrawn from the Malays even as these same rights should be the rights of ALL Malaysians regardless of faith or ethnicity but rather economic status ONLY. Ask the Al-Azhar Islamic University if apostasy was punishable in the prophet’s time or liable for ‘Islamic Re-education’ to keep followers, Malaysian Syariah laws on apostasy are all ILLEGAL in Islamic jurisprudence!

PETALING JAYA – Former inspector-general of police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan (pix) has called on the police and Home Ministry to publicly disclose all crime statistics so as to not confuse people about the actual crime situation in the country.

“The police should disclose all statistics as the people would like to know why there are street crimes around when the NKRA (National Key Results Area) showed that the crime is dropping.

“We do not say that they (government) are manipulating the statistics but the people might be confused if they don’t reveal all the reports,” he told a press conference here today.

Expressing his backing for the Malaysian Crime Watch Group (MyWatch), a non-governmental organisation which aims to educate and increase awareness on the preparation and prevention of crime, he said a public awareness campaign is important in helping the government and police combat crime at the grassroots level.

Musa claimed that the police now not only heed the IGP but also have to report to government servants outside the force.

He said the police should remain apolitical and not let any political influences seep into the force.

“I’m not hitting at the government. Nobody called me personally (to discuss) and there’s nothing on the paper (reporting change). I want to see police force improved. I don’t want things to be politicised because the police force needs to be improved for the sake of the people,” he said.

“If you want proof, you have to read it in the (news)papers, there are enough proof (of government interference). Now even the police are confused when the chief secretary of the KDN (Home Ministry) directs the police and the police complain to me.

“Perception comes from a real person’s action. So it (interference) is real,” he added.

-thesundaily

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Arrest all corrupt politicians (guess who was the MOST CORRUPT . . . ) in some Ops not amounting to a police coup. The Dewan should be emptied by the next session and most of the corrupted MPs and Assemblymen should yield a nice fat purse for Malaysia with those frozen accounts’ monies. What say you independent among judiciary and good cops? The international community and goodly among our top institutions and citizens would applaud. Perhaps a stint as interim PM as well since most of DAP are too nepotistic and Mubarak-like to qualify for the Pm’s post? Heck, pull together a few generals and consult Susilo (not for a ‘ganyang’ of Malaysia but a precise ‘ganyng’ of Malaysia’s WORST citizens . . . most Malaysians wouldn’t miss corrupted politicians and racists anyway.

KUALA LUMPUR- “Rosmah Mansor”, a book which chronicles the life of the prime minister’s wife, was launched today by the Sultan of Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah.

Yayasan Amanah Perdana Malaysia chairman Shamsulbahrin Ludin, the book’s publisher, said the new biography will allow readers a well-rounded glimpse into Rosmah’s life from her childhood to the present.

“Some of the facts presented in this book have never been told to anyone before.”

Its highlights, he said, include her marriage to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak – in particular, the challenges she faced first as the wife of a cabinet minister, deputy prime minister and now the country’s leader.

Written in an informal and relaxed tone, the book features stories from her school days at Tunku Kursiah College, Negeri Sembilan, and includes interviews with her closest friends.

“Many would want to know what life was like when she was a child, in primary and secondary schools.

“In addition to her life in campus and in the workforce, her life at the TKC was filled with interesting events which will certainly draw special attention,” Shamsulbahrin said.

The book also includes a special chapter in which Rosmah addresses the public rumours surrounding her life, whether regarding her family or her involvement in current events.

“Most importantly, we expect this book to provide answers in response to slanderous comments leveled at (Rosmah).

“In other words, it is a small effort by us to show her best attribute, that is her humility, through this book,” Shamsulbahrin said.

The 164-page biography also details her involvement in community work, especially her efforts to develop the Permata Negara programme, her engagement with non-government organisations as well as her participation in Bakti and in various international programmes.

It also showcases a collection of old and recent photographs.

The book’s soft launch was held as part of Rosmah’s birthday celebration, which included performances by singer Misha Omar and students from the Permata Seni programme.

Present at the ceremony were the Royal Consort of Pahang Sultanah Hajjah Kalsom, Najib and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

-NST.COM

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Names which turn out especially bad in another language might be the cause of some of the antipathy between races. Won’t mention which but those who know English and Hokkien dialect should easily figure which one . . .

ARTICLE 11

HOW TO BE NEUTRAL? EC officers have right to join political parties – chief – Monday, 10 December 2012 17:11

KUALA LUMPUR— Election Commission (EC) officers are within their democratic right to join political parties but they must not be partisan in carrying out their duties, says its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

The EC chairman disclosed this when responding to accusations by PAS that a senior EC officer in Sabah was holding a key post in the Kinabatangan Umno Youth chapter. The EC’s impartiality has been continuously questioned by the opposition and activists over the past years.

“There is nothing wring for any EC officer to join political parties. It doesn’t matter if they are in PAS, PKR or Umno.

“It is their democratic right,” he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted over the issue.

But Abdul Aziz said that EC officials should not side with any parties or abuse their powers when carrying out their duties.

He also stressed that the EC welcomed reports from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if the commission officials abused their powers, saying the opposition parties should lodge complaints and provide proof of wrongdoing.

“If there is proof to show the officer is in the wrong, please submit the proof. If possible, give the name, position and pictures.

“We will investigate without favour no matter who the officer is,” Abdul Aziz said.

The former top civil servant agreed that EC officials who are in political parties should not mix their duties with political ideology, saying it went against the work ethics of those in government service.

The EC chairman pointed out there were no regulations or laws that prevent government officials from joining political parties, except that those active in politics must apply for permission from the Public Service Department (PSD).

Sabah PAS Youth chief Lahirul Latigu had asked the EC to explain how its officials can hold posts in political parties, saying the silence would affect the commission’s credibility to ensure the democratic process is carried out in the country.

“If the EC still chooses to keep silent on this issue, PAS Youth will not hesitate to expose details about the officer who is in politics,” he had said.

Reports of EC officers holding posts in Umno have surfaced over the years, including allegations that Abdul Aziz and his deputy, Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, are members of the ruling party.

Following such reports against the top two EC officials last May, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz denied that Abdul Aziz was an Umno member as alleged by PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.

He disclosed that Abdul Aziz had registered as an Umno member more than 30 years ago in the Ampang Umno division but had since left the party.

“The EC chairman has already clarified that he isn’t an Umno member. He has also made sure about it,” Nazri had said.

-The Malaysian Insider

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Simple. Make laws that disallow EC officers from joining political parties.

The EC postholders and salaries jobs must ALL be people with no political party memberships, no business links to any politicians or even with businesses WITH links to politicians (the more distant the better and should be the criteria for EC posts). We can’t have family blocs like in the Pakatan family nepotism party. This way VESTED INTEREST can be avoided. So anyone who fulfil the above criteria ready to offer themselves for 1 term jobs? This will ensure Malaysia is a clean country. The ROS (Registry of Socities), MACC (Acnti-Corruption Agency), PAC (Public Accounts Committee) and Bar Council btw, should also be staffed in a similar manner.

We have three kids and have been married for five years, so we’re well out of the honeymoon period.

We’re both in our mid-30s and have been together since we were teenagers.

I really thought as men got older their sex drive declined, but it’s the opposite with my hubby!

Basically, if he had his way we’d be at it three times a day, every day.

I thought he might be insecure so I talked to him about it, but it turns out he just loves sex!

I love him to pieces, but I can’t keep up!

I’ve tried telling him all this, but the words “No, love, not tonight” just don’t register with him.

Help me!

Coleen says..

First the good news: it’s better to work out a compromise from this position than be in the situation where you’re having no sex.

It’s really fantastic that he still desires you so much after all those years together – for a lot of couples it’d be the other way round – but it’s only great if it’s what you both want.

Right now you’re feeling under pressure, but it’s a delicate situation and you don’t want to put him off ­altogether or embarrass him.

Tell him how much you love him and fancy him, but that physically you cannot have sex that often and you don’t want to either.

The most successful relationships are the ones where both parties can compromise and that’s what he’s going to have to do now. And you’ll have to do the same.

But don’t let it become a massive issue that affects your otherwise great relationship.

-mirror.co.uk

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A second wife should do the trick. that is why polygamy exists. This article hosts a gay NLP btw – a woman does not need to ‘keep it up’, the writer if female, has penis envy or wants to be a man, otherwise is subversive of men hoping men become gay. Reading too many NLPs of this sort results in gayness, not that gayness per se is bad, but CONTRIVED gayness resulting ftom, NLPs IS bad . . . Malaysian Chronicle should not abuse their readers like this.

ARTICLE 13

BE WARNED DR M & POLITICIANS LIKE SHAHRIZAT: The next May 13 will be very different from 1969 – by Victor Lim – Monday, 10 December 2012 12:08

YES. I couldn’t agree more with Koon Yew Yin (see story reproduced below), a respected Chinese community senior citizen.

I wish to add two very pertinent points which Mr Koon and I overlooked.

Point No.1: The majority of Malays, I believe some 90% of them, don’t pay taxes to the federal government.

They pay what is known as zakat (tithes), a form of Islamic tax.

This means Malaysia has been developed for the past 55 years with contributions from the non-Malays or non-Muslims and the corporate sector.

Therefore, if the business climate is ruined by the super corrupt, evil and racist Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) because it wants to remain in power at all costs, including the propagation of the May 13 violence and bloodshed, who will suffer more? Who is the majority race in Malaysia?

The cousins … the real danger Malaysians’ face

Point No.2: However, should violence really break out after BN-Umno loses the next general election, it will not be the same May 13, 1969.

In 1969, the majority of Malays were really living in abject poverty. They were envious of others who were better off economically.

Today, it is an entirely different scenario. That was the 20th century. We are now in the 21st century.

The Malays today are more informed and are therefore able to make wiser judgments politically.

Unlike 1969, the issues today are not about race. Only BN-Umno, for reasons only known to them, stubbornly refuses to change with the times to remain relevant with the rakyat (people).

Politically Bankrupt

All BN-Umno can focus on is its divide-and-rule archaic political strategy to remain in power at all costs.

BN-Umno uses money and its blind-loyalty supporters to stir emotions and violence at Opposition ceramah (political rallies) or to disrupt peaceful public protests.

BN is just unable to think out of the box and is obviously unable to react rationally after the March 8, 2008 political tsunami shock which saw BN losing its traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament and five states.

Blinded by corruption

Over the past four years, as the BN continued to try to impose their brute political might and power on the people with the aim of intimidating the rakyat into submission and subservience, the peoples’ political restlessness grew enormously.

Now, at its own doing, the BN is living in fear of losing its mandate to govern after the 13th General Election. The dissolution of the 222-seat Parliament is automatic on April 28, 2013.

BN has only itself to blame for failing to use the four years to implement reforms that would endear the rakyat and win back their hearts and minds after March 2008.

It refuses to see the rakyat’s demands for justice and clean socio-economic development policies – not continuing with its culture of enriching its families and cronies.

They are the poorest in Malaysia, so the BN-Umno federal government needs to give all the multi-billion ringgit projects to them.

Where has our natural wealth GONE?

It refuses to discard its race and religious political cards for more practical and reforming policies to fast track the progress and prosperity of Malaysians and Malaysia.

Yes! The people are asking: “Where have all the trillions of ringgit in natural resources, including oil and gas, gone?”

Is it also too much to ask the BN government to account for it’s more than RM800 billion federal debt? This, the BN has remained mum.

No wonder, the Opposition is gaining ground

The Opposition PR’s nationwide political rallies are seeing bigger and bigger crowds by the day and the audience comprises all races.

They break into rounds and rounds of thundering applause whenever Parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim touches on issues related to the need to do away with non-race based policies in governance to stimulate and fast track Malaysia’s healthy socio-economic growth.

They break into rounds and rounds of applause whenever Anwar explains and proposes people-centric fiscal measures aimed at reducing the financial burden of the people in a fast rising cost of living environment.

Anwar also stresses on the need to provide a higher standard of education for Malaysians, not race, as the impetus for economic and technological excellence. This, he has proposed free education for all, from primary level to tertiary education.

If BN-Umno really resorts to the use of violence when it loses the next general election, it will be the minority Umno Malays fighting with the PKR-PAS Malays backed by the Chinese and Indian communities.

My dear fellow rakyat, it will be very much unlike May 13, 1969.

Friday, 07 December 2012 23:58

If there is another May 13 riot, the MALAYS WILL BE THE BIGGEST LOSERS

Written by Koon Yew Yin

If there is another May 13 riot, the MALAYS WILL BE THE BIGGEST LOSERS

As the countdown to the general election begins in earnest, we are getting more and more calls from desperate and irresponsible politicians drawing attention to the possibility of a repeat of the infamous May 13 violence if the election results should go against the expectations of various political parties and interests.

The fact that these calls are directed towards the Bumiputera component of our population, are expressed in the national language, and are widely carried in the Malay mass media and Internet world makes me suspicious of the intentions of these politicians who claim that they are simply doing Malaysians a favour by warning of the backlash should the election outcome not bring about a continuation of the present power structure.

To my mind, these politicians are not only applying crude pressure on the Malay electorate to vote for them but they are also blatantly revealing their trump card – that violence, chaos and political instability will automatically erupt in the event that the opposition parties win the elections.

This blackmailing of our electorate as well as incitement of disruptive and hooligan elements in our society is totally unacceptable. Various academicians and politicians from the opposition have spoken up against such fear mongering in the recent past. However, not enough has been done by members of the business community and other professional organizations to speak out against these warnings and threats although they will be the main losers should another May 13 episode take place.

Much more needs to be done by key stakeholders to condemn the individuals and organizations making the threats as the risk of these threats becoming self-fulfilling prophesies increases by the day.

Shahrizat’s not-so-veiled threat

The latest invocation of May 13 took place at the Umno general assembly held recently. In that meeting, the Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil warned that the May 13 tragedy might be repeated should Umno became weak and not be able to overcome its challenges. That this warning was not made obliquely but was served up as part of her opening speech text testifies to the way in which this kind of desperado thinking has become the mainstream in certain political circles.

What is more worrying is that both Najib Razak and Muhyiddin Yassin as Umno president and deputy president, and more importantly as the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, failed to repudiate or rebuke Sharizat for fear mongering. Instead the Deputy Prime Minister attempted to defend the speech by explaining that chaos will be inevitable under Pakatan Rakyat rule.

Other Umno leaders, notably its vice-president Hishamuddin Hussein have even gone so far as to dismiss the attention brought by Shahrizat’s May 13 statement as a case of “spinning” and to put the blame on a pro-opposition media and other opposition elements.

“Shahrizat has already told me that this will be another matter that will be used for spinning by certain quarters, just because it coincides with the general assembly”, the country’s minister in charge of internal security is reported to have said in his dismissal of public concern when questioned about it.

Even if it is a case of over-reaction by the media and a fearful public, it is hoped that Shahrizat and her colleagues will not play with fire or pander to the psyche of insecurity found in Umno party members by constantly harping on the possible recurrence of 13 May and even worst, by condoning or justifying violent and catastrophic racial riots as they appear to be doing in the run-up to the elections.

Aftershocks of electoral violence

Should there be bloodshed and violence arising from the next elections, it will not be non-Malays primarily who will lose out or be hurt by the collapse of the share market and the larger economy as we see a rush to exit the country by local and foreign businesses and investors. It will be all Malaysians especially those who are now enjoying the good life.

Malays must bear in mind that while in 1969 they may have had less to lose, today the situation is completely different. There is Malay control of a major part of the commanding heights of our economy such as the banks, manufacturing, hi-tech industry, etc. and the largest listed companies. These gains which have given birth to the creation of a sizeable Malay middle and upper class will be put at great risk should there be another May 13. They may even disappear as the economic aftershocks and loss of economic confidence spiral out of control.

Another May 13 is unthinkable and unforgivable except to those who are so blinded by ambition and their lust for power that they need to keep reminding themselves and their supporters of that horrific possibility. However, should it happen, unlike in the first May 13 incident, it will be clear as to who are the instigators.

Conclusion:

I trust this article will encourage more stakeholders – bankers, business leaders, academicians and leaders of all political parties – to speak out and condemn those who are using the threat of another May 13 if there is a change of government. The Malays must remember that even if Pakatan Rakyat wins control of the government, there will be more Malay Members of Parliament than from any other races.

The Malays will be the biggest losers if there is another May 13 riot. – cpi

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All Malaysians likely are friends with the real enemies being MPs and Assemblymen on either BN or Pakatan’s side (especially the extreme wealth types, term limitless, or nepotistic) are the ones who pit Malaysians against Malaysian, then pretend to solve problems while making laws worse and fines higher, cost of living higher, but raising their own 23K MP salaries, asking for 750K funerals, having crony businesses and giving crony licences (like the recent Syed Mokhtar’s Puncak Semangat granted by MCMC twice the bandwidth spectrum above all other contractors – vestedinterest and anti-trust or anti-monopoly laws any Judges? No? All legal BEAGLES, not a single legal NGO made a peep . . . ). Guess who instigated the riots? Only those minority citizens directly involved should be subjected to Bumiputra Apartheid. So who should be punished for instigating riots? (hint : the extreme wealth, term limitless, or nepotistic . . . collecting 1 million of YOUR tax monies every 4 year term . . . ) . . . Vote 3rd Force!

Ex-IGP speaks out against transfers, saying that crime syndicates are now operating freely with ‘blessings from the top’.

Good, honest, hardworking police officers are being transferred from their divisions for doing their work with integrity, claimed former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan.

Musa suggested that these moves are now allowing more and more criminal syndicates to operate freely with “blessings from somebody on top” and also involved politicians at the highest levels.

Musa gave several examples of such transfers, and spoke out against the nationwide enbloc transfer of D7 officers in early 2011.

“After I left, there was an enbloc transfer of D7 officers, right? Not everybody is bad in the D7, why must you change the whole team?” he asked.

On rumours that the transfers were part of a exercise to facilitate syndicates changing hands, Musa said that was not the case, but said it was “because these officers are taking action, because they know a lot of things.”

“…. they were afraid that they couldn’t direct these people from D7,” he said, without explaining who “they” were.

Musa admitted that many of these people given transfers were those he had promoted at one point, but denied that they were part of his ‘camp’.

“I promoted people because of their capabilities and have done a good job…they were transferred out and not given any ranks.

“[During the D7 redeployment], the whole country, all the IPK contingents headquarters, some were transferred to the field force.”

“See… they were all good officers, when they were under me they arrested quite a number from the syndicates, but now there are no arrests anymore.

Musa said D7 is the division tasked with cracking down on vice, gambling, loansharks, prostitution and also to investigate syndicated crime.

“So they have all the intelligence about them, especially the bosses. These are the ones [D7 officers] who actually go after the [crime syndicate] top [guns].

‘Politicians involved in transfers’

FMT: Why such transfers under [current IGP] Ismail Omar’s time?

Musa: To make it easier for them to operate-lah, because when I was the IGP, most of them went away, they left the country.

When you say “they” you are referring to?

Musa: The syndicate bosses.

So are you then saying the current IGP is openly allowing syndicates to operate?

The home minister had to interfere to stop the then IGP Musa Hassan from promoting and transferring his men who would continue working with criminal elements, claims Raja Petra.

(FMT) – Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan, before his retirement, had allegedly promoted and transferred the “right” police officers who will continue to work hand-in-hand with the triads, claimed popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin today.

However, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had interfered in this exercise, and this has caused a lot of problems for the Chinese underworld and crime syndicates.

“And that is why Musa recently gave his interviews – alleging interference by the politicians in the running of the police force. It is true that the minister blocked Musa’s every move,” said Raja Petra in his latest blog posting in Malaysia Today.

Raja Petra said that Hishammuddin had decided to act as he feared that a continuation of Musa’s influence in the police force would have had a backlash on Umno in the coming general election.

“They know that the voters are unhappy with the police force and that may cost Umno a lot of votes.

“Hence if the minister does not rein in the police, then there is a danger that Umno could lose a sizeable number of votes,” said Raja Petra.

In recent weeks, Musa had claimed that during his tenure as the IGP from 2006 to 2010, there had been political interference and inflitration of criminal elements in the police force.

He said that he had raised these issues through the “proper channels” to the prime minister and home minister, but to no effect.

He had also lashed out at his successor Ismail Omar, claiming that he was a weak police chief.

Musa’s detractors, however, had responded by saying that it was Musa who had allowed the triads to take control of the police force, of his alleged corrupt practices, and of his underhand tactics to “fix people up”, including his former boss Commercial Crimes Investigation Department (CCID) chief Ramli Yusuff.

Adding to the list of Musa’s detractors, Raja Petra claimed that the former top cop has many grievances against the government, the present IGP Ismail and Hishammuddin.

Musa’s role in Bersih violence?

Raja Petra said Musa’s bitternes was due to the government’s rejection of his request for a further extension as the police chief.

“He then asked to be made the Malaysian High Commissioner to Brunei and that too was rejected. Instead, he was given just a teaching job, which, to him, is a great insult when other retired IGPs before him were given ‘good’ posts,” he said.

The blogger also claimed that many suspected Musa’s role in the manner police acted violently against Bersih 3.0 rally-goers on April 28 this year.

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Oh dear RPK is a racist! Or should I say fundamentalist? Crime cyndicates? They’d all rather have legal RLDs, Gambling Outlets (non-4D but all regular casino types) and OPZs which the idiot BN government simply refused out of racism and hatred for non-Muslims. RPK, I am disappointed. The above activities are CRIMINALISED there are no criminals among the Chinese community, the entertainment industry was driven underground then labelled as ‘criminal’ or underworld. Legalise and see how many ‘criminals’ there are. The Chinese by nature are always law abiding but will try to screw those who prevent them from having fun. These Human Rights abuses have been affliting the Chinese community long enough in Malaysia and probably every other non-Muslim tin the Middle East as well. How dishonest and selfish can a race or faith get?

The ex-IGP claims that former MACC advisor Robert Phang was involved in a communication devices deal for the police which did not meet specifications.

Teoh El Sen, FMT

Several senior policemen were transferred out of the Bukit Aman Logistics Department (Communications Division) and put in “cold storage” for refusing to approve a technically unsound project involving walkie talkies worth almost RM1 billion.

It is learnt that the project was mooted towards the end of 2008 and involved the replacement of more than 30,000 new walkie-talkies for beat policemen, stations and vehicles nationwide, including Sabah and Sarawak.

However, problems arose a year or two after the project, which was a direct negotiation contract, took off as the implementation of the devices were allegedly not according to specifications.

One of the problems was the apparent lack of coverage or “black spots” in certain areas around the country such as in certain buildings, and in one case very little coverage along the East-West highway despite being promised otherwise.

The other issues, which “deviated from the agreed specificaitons”, include a recording system which sometimes records when nobody speaks and vice versa; and also incidents where the walkie talkie transmits by itself.

However, despite the flaws, sources said that those within the Home Ministry and top ranking policemen were constantly pressuring a team of technical experts to sign the acceptance of the equipment before the issues were smoothed out.

“[Former inspector-general of police] Musa Hassan did not agree to a project that was not done properly but they used KDN [Home Ministry] to force the technical team to do whatever the company wanted. They were under tremendous pressure,” said a source with direct knowledge of the deal.

“By mid 2010, when the first phase was being put out in the Klang Valley, we already noticed that all these problems were surfacing, but they were swept under the carpet.

“They realised that if they signed the project, we will go to jail. So better transfer,” added the source.

Investigate Ismail

Speaking to FMT on this, Musa said when he was still IGP, he kept a close watch on the project to ensure that the equipment was what the police needed. However, he claimed, other parties’ interests crept in after he left.

Musa said that prominent businessman and former MACC advisor Robert Phang was a consultant for the project and acted as a go-between the police and the provider, a multinational telecommunications company.

“Because he was close with the police. So at that time, I believe that there were some government officers in the ministry who was involved in the company.

“Since it was approved by the government, I had to carry it out. But I made sure that the technical team that overseeing the project does not compromise to ensure that it is up to specifications and to ensure that this communication can be used throughout Malaysia without any hiccups.

“So after I left… I was not quite happy because it was still not up to specifications. I was informed that it would not work well and that is why the technical team refused to sign the commission so that money can be paid,” he told FMT.

However, Musa alleged that even Phang threatened the team. “The team received a call from him saying that if you don’t sign it, you will be transferred out.”

True enough, he added, at least three officers ranked DSP, Supt and SAC were then given letters of transfers out of the department.

“So the team refused to sign, and they were called by the IGP. The present IGP [Ismail Omar] asked them to commission it… because they need the government to pay the money… I don’t know how many million. So they got transferred and now it actually went through.

“Officers who have the capability and technical expertise in communication are being put in cold storage by this businessman. That’s how good his connections are. He is very close to the IGP now… very friendly with the home minister,” said Musa.

Musa said that he wanted the authorities to investigate Ismail for possibly abusing his powers and Phang for allegedly abetting the former.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Robert Phang had neglected to address Bumiputra Apartheid, in this case at least from this, I believe Musa’s accusation of duplicity and complicity on Robert Phang’s part. Meanwhile, perhaps Musa had not thought in terms of BEING CHINESE when accusing the so-called syndicates of being ‘criminals’ in the above response. Where synthetics are involved, I am on Musa’s side as well, but everything else labelled criminal by Musa should be dropped as mere entertainment and oppression of Chinese by jealous Muslims who are not supposed to have fun.

The current IGP’s links in the RLD, OPZ or Gambling outlet is Human Rights CORRECT so long as no Muslims are allowed to use the same, and Malaysia’s laws are in fact oppressive and inapplicable. MCA, Gerakan and DAP of course are criminal minded enough to not address these problems while hiding behind a veneer of ‘morality’ but know this, a MAN who cannot tell the difference between Voltarian Freedoms and Fundamentalism expressed Political Expedience are but mere CHILDREN living moralistic fantasies in the childhood. Those who are moral evidently do not under stand civil society and the ETHICS that allow for civilisation by allowing so-called ‘criminal activities’ which are simply entertainments tarred with demogogues and fundamentalists, orwellian minded politicians intent on control by suppression of entertainment.

Adults and free citizens (think Amsterdam’s OPZs, adult zones (RLDs) and various ‘Gambling Districts worldwide, Playboy Clubs, Hustler Clubs, Penthouse Clubs or just the Zona de Tolerancia) who’s faith permits enjoy RLDs, OPZs gambling and what not – NO PERSON OR GROUP IN THE WORLD has the right to prevent another group from having access or to set up such entertainments, though ‘pushing fun’ on the non-consenting is another thing.

The above response describes the sick immatured/oppression-intended pathos of the ethos reliant/blinded Chinese and Indians who are non-‘criminal’, and I am sure the TRULY EDUCATED can relate to and will stand by what this response means. Citizens are not chattel of the state or their faiths or their retarded neighbours, and the CIVILIAN LAWS *MUST* reflect the reality of FREEDOM, Human Rights and Democracy, MUST protect such rights, Muslims or no Muslims, fundos or no fundos of whatever faith or cultlike sect.

And then the above, which ALL politicians have neglected to implement so they can profit off strife and oppression of the libido or the saporific effects of Organic psychedelics! Freud should take up this cause even from beyond the grave . . .

We are merely kidding ourselves if we think the rules by PAS only apply to Muslims.

THERE they go again. The PAS-­controlled Kelantan state government, which has yet to resolve the controversy over the gender segregation ruling on hair salons run by non-Muslims, has now found itself in another explosive issue.

Four non-Muslims – two men on a plane-spotting outing and a couple in a park – have been issued with summonses for khalwat.

The summonses were for “indecent behaviour” but the four have denied any wrongdoing, insisting that the municipal council enforcement officers were “merely abusing their position”.

The first case involved two men in their 30s who were in a car parked beside the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport. They claimed they were watching planes land in the night when they were issued with the summonses by these Taliban-style officers.

This writer can only deduce that Kota Baru must be so boring – the result of a ban on entertainment outlets – that the two young men have to watch planes landing at the airport for entertainment. How these officers can consider their action an offence is mind-boggling.

But we know that the PAS politicians have a great sense of imagination and can conjure up fantasies out of seemingly ordinary situations. They think that getting a haircut from a person of the opposite sex can lead to moral decay and watching concerts can lead to hedonism or excessive pleasure, whatever that means.

Malaysians know that these cranky politician-theologians also frown upon the mixed company of males and females, but two non-Muslim men being punished for being in a car together, that’s a new one. Are they telling us now that two men together can lead to immoral activities or that watching planes at the airport can be sexually arousing? Even if they had committed a “gay act”, does the council have any jurisdiction over non-Muslims?

The other case involved a 17-year-old boy and a girl aged 15. They were together at the Tengku Anis Park in the town centre, in broad daylight, when they were arrested. They were approached by the enforcement officers and issued summonses on the spot for purported indecent behaviour.

Nothing seems to be safe any more for non-Muslims in Kota Baru. You get fined for having a hair cut by a hairstylist of a different sex, you get fined for being in love and sharing private moments in a park in broad daylight, and you also get summoned for being in a wrong queue in a supermarket check-out.

Before anyone accuses this writer of filing another PAS-bashing piece, it is important to point out that the protest over the latest controversies was started by the National PAS Supporters Congress president Hu Pang Chaw, who is known for his apologist stand for the Islamist party.

Interestingly enough, Hu has also revealed that the male victims had complained to him that the officers had even sought RM500 “to settle the matter”, which means that these holier-than-thou officers were open to corruption.

Hu added that “as far as I know, the council has no right to issue summonses to non-Muslims for close contact with their girlfriends in the dark or out in the open”. But Hu shouldn’t plead ignorance now because the PAS rules have always infringed upon non-Muslims. This is not the first time and it won’t be the last.

Don’t blame PAS either because they have consistently told Malaysians that their objective is to turn Malaysia into an Islamic State. Barisan Nasional tells us that we are already an Islamic State, but they still keep intact the secular laws and the British-style courts.

But for political expediency, and for selfish political ambitions, there is now a deafening silence from allies of PAS. The only exception seems to be DAP chairman Karpal Singh, who has also consistently spoken up against the hudud laws pushed by PAS. However, his party comrades have decided to keep silent and, worse, are encouraging us to elect more PAS leaders into Parliament and the state assemblies.

It is also pertinent to note that during The Star’s interview with the Sultan of Selangor, the Tuanku had revealed that there were politicians who tried to prevent the opening of cinemas in shopping malls in Shah Alam! This is in Selangor and not even in Kelantan. We can also assume that this must be the work of PAS elected representatives.

We know for a fact that the PAS state assemblyman for Bangi, Dr Shafie Abu Bakar, has prevented a cinema from being set up by a non-Muslim, and that the Kuala Selangor PAS wants to stop unmarried couples from watching movies in a cinema there.

We are merely kidding ourselves if we think the rules by PAS do not affect non-Muslims. Despite the promised intervention by PAS’ top leaders over the hair salon ruling, nothing has changed until today.

In an interview with The Malay Mail on Friday, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was quoted as saying “even Chinese wives don’t agree with (unisex) salons”.

He seems out of touch with reality, or pretending to be.

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So sue the government or run for politics to get political immunity to make known to the world what is happening here in Malaysia. Have the respect and ethos, the cash to fund proxy candidates? Don’t talk here from behind the media.

Najib launched the club at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) via tele-conferencing with club members from SM Yu Yuen, Sandakan, Sabah.

The Prime Minister, when interacting said the setting up of the club in Sandakan was a testimony that the people in the country, including the people of Sabah, are confident with the 1Malaysia concept and the transformation agenda of the country.

He said the club can become a bridge for communication between him (Najib) and the people in Sabah to understand the feelings and expectation of the people towards the Government.

“Thank you for your confidence and support. I believe we can use this line of communication to exchange ideas and to make comments from time to time.

“I feel this is a very positive development because this will create not only good communication but also interpersonal relationship between all of you and the governor,” he said.

Najib said he hoped the trust of the people towards the Government would continue with the commitment of the Government to establish transformation as the main agenda of the country.

“We believe we are a strong government that can lead the country towards fulfilling the vision of becoming a developed nation. Malaysians are our responsibility and we must strive to promote harmony and stability among the various ethnics in Malaysia,” he said.

Najib said 1Malaysia was not just a slogan but rather an overarching philosophy to the principle of the nation, including policies and transformation agendas.

“1Malaysia is about forming, unity and harmony…it is based on fairness, inclusive and moderation…all that are part and parcel of the 1Malaysia philosophy.

“1Malaysia will be our overarching philosophy and with your support this nation will transform to be the first red nation and a nation that we can all be proud of,” he said. – Bernama

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The lowest of the apartheid accepting ‘slaves’ KTK par excellence have just confirmed their pariah status. Good job Najib! You’v helped identify which Chinese and which Chinese families are no longer Chinese! Those that are lower than the MCA bunch here will not even be MCA members but who join out of sheer cluelessness. Say ‘Massa’ or ‘Tuan’ yer Goreans! How masochistic and unaware of equality can overseas (Malaysian) Chinese get!

Umno’s much-touted 66th general assembly ended with a whimper, its cries of being able to snatch two-thirds of the seats in Parliament downed by missiles that emanated from its own base boomeranging badly on its top leader – the scandal-plagued and embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Despite acknowledging that Umno’s notorious corruption was its own worst enemy, Najib failed to speak up against graft, introduce serious pre-emptive reforms or to even promise a new horizon where transparency would be the rule and not the exception.

His political rivals were not surprised, attributing this in large part due to at least 3 major pieces of shocking news that erupted just days before the Umno assembly started.

“What is there to say. It is so clear Umno cannot change. Its leaders can order the mainstream media, the TV and newspapers to black out the news. They can shout at how confident they are to win the 13th general election but Umno delegates and members have that sinking feeling in their hearts,” PAS MP for Shah Alam Khalid Samad told Malaysia Chronicle.

“Inwardly, many grassroots are disappointed and disgusted by the dishonesty and corruption of their leaders but they won’t do much because this is the nature of Umno. It has always been. Those who can’t stand it will leave, those who stay will hang on and hope for a piece of the gravy train even though they know it is corrupt.”

TRIPLE bombshells, more to come?

The first news break that shocked the country came from French lawyers, who revealed that the investigative judges hearing the RM7.3bil Scorpene case in Paris had decided that, contrary to the Malaysian government’s claims, murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu was involved in Putrajaya’s acquisition of submarinnes from naval giant DCNS and would be requesting for full records of her murder trial.

This news set tongues wagging as Umno members thronged the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur where their annual congress was held. Perhaps the news reverberated all the more because Najib had foolishly refused to allow the French lawyers to come to Malaysia to brief Members of Parliament on the latest status of case, thereby increasing the suspicion against himself and his wife Rosmah Mansor, both of whom have been accused of involvement and whose former bodyguards were sentenced to hang for the murder.

Next were the twin bombshells dropped by carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan, a former close friend of Rosmah’s. According to Deepak, the first couple enlisted his help in overturning a statutory declaration that implicated them in the Altantuya murder. The news sparked calls for a re-opening of the Altantuya murder trial which has been questioned for its ‘quality’ of justice, with the court accused of ignoring evidence that the bodyguards may have been merely the hired killers and that the people who gave the order to murder still at large.

As if that were not enough and Umno members were not already reeling at the alleged misdeeds of their president and his wife, Deepak went on to accuse a “member of Najib’s family” of taking millions of ringgit for his approving the RM100 Puspahanas project, a research centre commissioned by the Ministry of Defense which despite being privatized in 2005 remains only about 20% built today.

“Umno’s ‘war’ 66th General Assembly has ended with UMNO leaders confident and euphoric, with the Umno Secretary-General Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and other Umno leaders declaring that Umno will not only triumph in the next general elections, but will win back the two-thirds parliamentary majority as well as all the four Pakatan states including Kelantan and Penang,” DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said in a statement.

“However, ‘Man proposes, God disposes’. Although the just-concluded Assembly was painstakingly choreographed and orchestrated, with a lot of do’s and don’t’s for those who spoke at the four-day Umno Assemblies to optimise Umno’s appeal in the 13GE, the ineluctable conclusion of rational and thinking Malaysians is that despite all the talk of “transformation”, Umno leaders and Umno are incapable of change so long as Umno remains corrupted in the corridors of power.

“Umno and Barisan Nasional have become synonymous with corruption in Malaysia and the 44 months of Najib premiership have shown that Najib is only good at mouthing anti-corruption slogans but totally lacking the political will and commitment to root out corruption, especially grand corruption involving political and government leaders.

“This is why the 66th UMNO General Assembly presented the sad spectacle of the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Musa Aman, successfuly performing the “disappearance” act despite valiant efforts by the media representatives on a look-out for him to respond to demands by Sabah UMNO delegates that Musa explain the scandal of the RM40million “political donation to Sabah UMNO” which involved him and the Sabah timber trader Michael Chia.

“Also most disturbing is the backing out and silence of the Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi coupled with the failure of Najib to respond to the serious allegations of integrity about a RM100 million defence ministry project in 2005 raised by businessman Deepak Jaikishan implicating the Prime Minister’s family and which is also related to the high-profile and long-running Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case. Haunting Najib at the 66th UMNO General Assembly was the ghost of Altantuya Shaariibuu. Why couldn’t Altantuya’s ghost be appeased?”

Even the UMNO Malays might concede on the above 3 items than let Pakatan win.

UMNO will be torn apart after the Judiciary is replaced by Pakatan cronies. we all know how Malaysia works (too many legal beagles too few legal eagles), and the people might be displeased enough with UMNO too that Pakatan need not even ‘do the dirty work’, many terrible things probably happened by some faction’s hands in the past and who knows the aggrieved are just waiting for BN to be politically destroyed . .

BN REALLY should use the mandate to grant the above 3 items, that way at least they MIGHT have some places to run to avoid those they have hurt since independence or may yet turn the 40%+ minority and possibly majority of Malays to their side again. The above 3 items are rightful Human Rights, why risk losses in GE13 by not granting something so basic? Is racism and greed so much fun that GE13 is worth losing? For all the faults the article above points at, the chance to win is still there, IF Pakatan does not confirm the above 3 items and BN grants the above 3 items BEFORE GE13. As they say, ain’t over till over . . . but so long as BN does not use the mandate to grant the 3 items, BN with a record of abuses and failures and racism will indeed fail.

ARTICLE 20

THINK NAJIB! If you can’t even sort out Dr M or reform Umno, HOW CAN YOU RULE M’SIA? – Hornbill Unleashed – Martin Jalleh – December 10, 2012

The General Elections beckons and it looks as though the Prime Minister (PM) has gone berserk. He is making comments most bizarre! He blurts out statements beyond human logic!

Soon after the last General Elections he had warned his political party that either it changes or the government that it so dominates will be changed by the people.

He now surprisingly admits that Umno needs to change (The Malaysian Insider, 7 Dec., 2012). In other words, his party has not changed – which in fact clearly contradicts what he and his cohorts have been saying!

For instance the Sun Daily reported on 1 Dec. 2012: Following up on his apology for Umno’s past wrongdoings, at the opening of the party’s 66th general assembly…Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak today closed the annual event by exuding optimism that the people’s confidence for Umno is well on recovery mode.

“There is such tremendous response,” he told a euphoric crowd of delegates who seemed charged-up to defend the party’s hold over Malaysia in the upcoming general election.

“Not just from the Malay people…. The non-Malays also see Umno more positively than in the earlier times.

“They see that with each passing day, Umno is recovering even more… With each passing day, they see that Umno is qualified even more, to rule this country.

“We have shown that we are capable to remedy our condition. We are closing ranks and displaying an extraordinary spirit,” he said in his presidential speech at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

“Indicating to the party faithful – and voters at large – that Umno has indeed transformed and improved from what it was in the 2008 general election when the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition it led lost four states and its two-thirds majority in Parliament, he proceeded to dish out warnings at those in the party who may hamper it in the next election.”

Mandate from the people to reform Umno? But what if Umno still resists after Najib gets the mandate?

First you say Umno has changed. Yet in your latest comment you admit that it has not changed! Alas dear Mr PM are you not being a chameleon which you so often accuse Anwar Ibrahim of?

What is most preposterous is that Najib says “he needs a mandate from voters in order to reform Umno” (The Malaysian Insider, 7 Dec., 2012)!

“If I want to reform the party, I need a mandate from the people. Without the mandate from the electorate how can I reform the party?” he told the Malay Mail in an interview published recently.

The Malaysian Insider commented: “Reforming Umno has proven to be a monumental task despite the party’s and Barisan Nasional’s (BN) flagging popularity, particularly in urban areas.

“The Umno president has been pushing a reform agenda which included the repeal of security laws considered draconian and the push for a more multi-racial agenda.

“But conservative forces within the party, especially those linked with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, have resisted change and have pushed a more Malay-centric platform.

“Mindful of Dr Mahathir’s continued influence, Najib has been careful not to alienate the former PM who had contributed to BN’s worst electoral performance in Election 2008 when he campaigned against the administration of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“But ahead of key national elections due next year, Prime Minister Najib said he was pleading for voters to grant him the mandate to continue his reform policies that can spur Malaysia forward for the greater good even as he acknowledges his party and the ruling BN coalition’s sluggishness towards change. (The Malaysian Insider, 7 Dec., 2012)

“With this mandate, a strong mandate from the people, I will deliver what I promised. This is not just about GE13, it’s about transforming the nation and I’m committed to it.”

Don’t be over-ambitious, Najib: Sort out Dr M first before you seek to rule the WHOLE nation

Why don’t you try to change your own party before you try to transform the whole nation, Mr PM?

“If I want to reform the party, I need a mandate from the people. Without the mandate from the electorate how can I reform the party?”

The mandate given by the people (the electorate) in the General Elections is to transform the country and not to reform your party! That’s Umno’s and your job!

Please get the mandate from your own party members to reform your own party! It appears that either you have failed to get the mandate from Umno members to change the party or in spite of the support given to you, you have failed to reform it.

And since you have failed to reform Umno, the party will be an obstacle to your plans to transform the country. It would not make any sense for you to continue as Umno president and as the PM.

And if you cannot even change your own party are we to expect that you are going to bring about change in the country?

Alas, perhaps it is time to change the president of Umno and the Prime Minister of this country!

MAILBAG

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Shut up Jalleh! I like what Najib is saying here IF thats sincere (doubtful but we’d never know but so long as the below 3 items are actually concretised, the voters couldn’t care less and will give PM Najib a second term) and relates to the below 3 items. What is Jalleh doing? Trying to goad Najib into the arms of those racists being berated? If BN grants :

;even the Chinese would vote BN over Pakatan which has never made clear on the above. Of course BN would be unlikely to grant the above given the number of racists, but Najib is indeed thinking and should not be hammered. Are you an UMNO disinfo agent Jalleh? Or just angry in a way that your articles are skewed in a manner that makes impossible the above 3 items?

Najib asked voters to give BN more time to execute the changes it has planned for the country. — Picture by Choo Choy May
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 ? Again calling for change in Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today voters are choosing Pakatan Rakyat (PR) because they want to send a message to the ruling coalition.

“The message is for us to change as a party,” the BN chairman said while launching the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) annual general meeting (AGM) here.

“They want BN as a party to be more fair, inclusive, and so that every citizen of Malaysia will receive equal treatment and benefits from BN.”

The prime minister’s remarks came after PPP president Datuk Seri M. Kayveas’s address, in which the latter said voters are flocking to PR because they are “worried” by perceived discrimination and prejudice under BN’s rule.

Fresh from closing Umno’s annual assembly here yesterday, Najib again called on voters to give BN more time to renew itself by supporting it in the polls.

“We’re in the process of renewal. Real changes are taking place in Malaysia.

“Real changes are taking place while the same party is in power in Malaysia,” the Umno president said.

Najib also criticised the “Ubah” (change) slogan touted by DAP and PR, comparing their call for change to the recent “Arab Spring” revolution.

“If we change, are we sure we’re getting something better?

“(The people involved in Arab Spring) are not enjoying the ‘spring weather’. They’re still in the winter of discontent,” Najib said.

The prime minister said that the revolutions in the Middle East had caused the countries involved to lose out on tourism and currency exchange, as well as suffer declines to their security.

But Najib also confessed that winning the next general election will not be easy, saying that voters’ opinions were now easily swayed by current issues.

“Before this, we can just put a songkok (to contest) and we would still win.

“Now we need to read the desires of the public, understand the wishes of the people.”

Najib then appeared to criticise grassroots leaders for failing to disseminate the aspirations of the BN administration effectively, leading to problems with perceived discrimination and prejudice.

“The problem is not at the top, the problem is on the ground.

“These people must try to understand what the government wants. If we say we must treat every citizen equally, the whole system … must do that,” Najib added to applause from the floor.

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Najib then appeared to criticise grassroots leaders for failing to disseminate the aspirations of the BN administration effectively, leading to problems with perceived discrimination and prejudice.

“The problem is not at the top, the problem is on the ground. “These people must try to understand what the government wants. If we say we must treat every citizen equally, the whole system … must do that,” Najib added to applause from the floor.

Politics should be about honesty, and civilisational Islam (or other religion) is not crony laws and racial privileges. As mentioned elsewhere, were a screen applied to ensure meritocracy (to mask race), a translation machine (to mask language), and a voice modulator and distortion screen or camera (to mask gender) applied at a job interview, we’d be surprised at the choices we make based on POLICY rather than race or religion or cult of personality (which harms the accuracy of content via sheer pathos via inverse civility). Then the concept of NATION would be real. Right now the ‘needs basis’ is based around wrong things like religion and race or even gender ‘quotas’, which is very backward and insulting to the host race the Malays, the minorities, or men in general. Let the best people lead and let them be limited in terms AND chosen with the above tech applied so that the above racial or gender or religious cues will not affect choices. Finally, a first world ‘Meritocracy’ of logic and ability (as opposed to mob minded and pathos based DEMOCRACY of majority) must include :

KOTA BARU: The 17-year-old teenager, who was issued a summons for allegedly giving his girlfriend a “piggy-back ride” at a public park, is upset and embarrassed following the incident.

The teenager, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he had a tough time explaining to his mother that he was innocent and that he and his 15-year-old girlfriend did nothing indecent.

The teenager was given the summons for allegedly “piggy-backing” his girlfriend while jogging at Taman Tunku Anis at about 5.30pm on Oct 20.

“The incident was traumatic for me and my girlfriend because although I am not an expert in council by-laws, I think what I did was merely having fun with my girlfriend. It was far from an offence.

“We were just fooling around in broad daylight like any other teenager but the officer who approached us said it was improper for us to act like that in public.

“He continued giving us a lecture on morality and when I thought that we would be let off with a warning, he issued us with the summons,” he said yesterday adding that he was now in Kuala Lumpur after completing his SPM examinations.

Summonses had also been issued to two non-Muslim men were for allegedly embracing each other when they were found in a car parked near the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport at midnight on Oct 31. Both have denied the allegations.

The action against the four led to an outcry by various groups which likened it to imposing the Syariah law of close proximity or “khalwat” on non-Muslims.

The teenager also claimed he had argued with the officer as it was unfair to penalise someone when a verbal warning would suffice.

“When I got home that day, I showed the summons to my mother.

“She was very upset at first but when she saw the nature of the offence written in the summons, she believed that I had done nothing wrong.

“My mother thinks I should not have been issued with the summons and that is why she has brought up the matter with lawyers to ask their opinion on the matter,” he added.

He said the news about the incident spread and many assumed that he was involved in “hanky-panky business” with his girlfriend.

“All my friends wanted to know what happened in the park. But when I told them that my girlfriend was merely on my back, they did not believe me and after seeing the summons, my friends will now think twice about hanging out with their girlfriends anywhere.

“They are now afraid to even go to the park with their girlfriends,” she added.

He said he had been under some stress during the SPM examinations because of the incident.

“But I believe I did okay because my conscience is clear and my family is with me,” he said.

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Let all Malaysians vote only for MPs who believe in dropping the entire Syariah Court system in favour of the civil court system. Also :

Oprah and the good guys: The dozen billionaires with big hearts and even bigger bank balances who are planning to spread their wealth around – by Daniel Bates and Louise Boyle – PUBLISHED: 03:37 GMT, 20 September 2012 | UPDATED: 07:04 GMT, 20 September 2012

Congregated behind closed doors of the grandiose Trustees Room at New York Public Library, this group of individuals made for the wealthiest gathering in the world.

The twelve – Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, Bill and Melinda Gates, Pete Petersen, Leon Black, Jon Bon Jovi, Marc Benioff, David Rubenstein, Steve Case, Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen and Marc Andreessen – may have made their billions from as diverse pursuits as rock music to microchips, but they have united to dedicate vast portions of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Their combined wealth totals a staggering $126billion – with Bill Gates and Warren Buffett in first and second place respectively. The two leaders of the billionaire pack supported the Summit on Philanthropy – where 161 of the richest people in America met to share ideas on how the wealth might be spread across education, poverty, religion, medicine and the environment.

The combined wealth of America’s richest is $1.7 trillion, up from $1.5 trillion in 2011, in due part to the rising stock market, a rebound in real estate values – especially in cities like Los Angeles and New York, and rising values for art works.

The billionaires posed at the library in Manhattan on June 26 this year for the 30th anniversary cover of Forbes 400, published on October 8.

The combined wealth of America’s richest is $1.7 trillion, up from $1.5 trillion in 2011, in due part to the rising stock market, a rebound in real estate values – especially in cities like Los Angeles and New York, and rising values for art works.

Commentator comments :

John Bon Jovi has a restaurant in NJ. Google it… its a non profit. Pretty much can pay what you like. and if you don’t have money, you can work it off. Menu changes daily.

– Laura , Sarasota Florida USA, 20/9/2012 11:31

Gates stole more than he’s ever going to give back through the exploitation of a virtual monopoly with excessive charges for MS software.

– BobCratchet , London, United Kingdom, 20/9/2012 11:27

Oprah obviously didn’t receive the memo to wear dark clothes. Your eyes immediately go to her before the others, ha.

– LH , Essex, United Kingdom, 20/9/2012 11:16

“161 of the richest people in America met to share ideas on how the wealth might be spread across education, poverty, religion, medicine and the environment.” – Spot the odd one out…why on earth give any money to religion? The three Abrahamic faiths are swimming in money as a result of peddling their lies for so many years, particularly institutions like the Catholic church. Take religion out and that’s a pretty good list to start with though.

– Alex , London, 20/9/2012 11:14

And not a single Bullingdon Dining Club member amongst them

– Bigman , Glasgow, United Kingdom, 20/9/2012 11:08

Its good they’re giving the money but I find this public display a bit sickening. Plenty of wealthy give alot without plastering their faces over a magazine making sure everyone knows.

– Linley , Sydney, 20/9/2012 11:08

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12 people alone have 126 billion? Look here, 12 people represent less than 1% of North America’s 300 million population, so lets have at least 99% of that wealth re-distributed (124.4 billion) to stop a few hundred thousand foreclosures of viable working families that could tip the scales for USA. The remainder of the 1.6 billion (1%) from 126 billion should be redistributed among these 12, which would mean 130 million each. Thats 324 times a 401K for this lot. They can’t go whining about how 99% of their wealth has been lost when they are worth 300+ times a 401K Joe Public now can they? Lets see if the greed and cynicism will prevent these 12 from doing the 99% right thing or if 130 million is fine by them to save 1000s of good American families (interview respectfully, this will be better than American Idol, ‘Middle Wealth Class Idol’ perhaps?). Last chance for the Capitalism model IMHO, otherwise try 20 million Socialist caps on wealth sequestration if these hearts are big enough . . . 20 million is still 50 times a 401K and sveral lifetimes of work for 99% of Americans.

Consider that 1.7 trillion of the 161 richest, 99% of that redistributed would be 1.68 trillion 17 billion split among 161 people would be 10.5 million each, still 25 times a 401K. How about saving 10s of 1000s of middle class Americans’ lives and homes? Perhaps 75% of that could be used for shelters and staples for the poorest as well. This is TRUE patriotism, saving America’s *VIABLE* (do feel free to ferret out those who won’t make the mark) middle class population, and sharing ‘the fat’, and at least making sure the poorest don’t starve or freeze while so-called ‘plutocrat entertainer stars’ go to East Europe and Asia or Africa (WTF?) to do the same (abit better than plutocrat sportsmen with millions but not even owning a single sports facility to their name – these sorts are in sport for MONEY not love of sport – sports fans could do an audit of major brand sponsors to :

identify then boycott those brands that are merely parasiting off sports goods (actually the gambling industry is doing this even as sportsmen throw games off and on for profit . . . ) FROM brands which are actually run by people/execs who do love the sport,not a bunch of snarky executives gloating at people who buy their overpriced sports goods) while locally back home and most cynically, Americans suffer the same starvation and homelessness, freeze to death as well while plutocrats enjoy lives worth more than 3-10 or 50 times 401K. If the country belongs to everyone, then all the land and all the wealth belongs to everyone – that could come off the limit for wealth sequestration at 20 million. No citizen should be allowed to starve, be homeless much less freeze then being supposed equals. Vote properly Joe Publics!

ARTICLE 2

Foster Friess: America Would Be Better Off With More Wealthy People – September 21, 2012 – By Lawrence Sinclair

Sinclair News is publishing part of an article by Tony Lee dated 18 Sep 2012 which was published at Breitbart.com. We are linking our readers to the complete article.

On the one-year anniversary of the fizzling “Occupy” movement that tried to pit the so-called 99% against the 1%, and on the day in which a video of Mitt Romney talking about the 47% of Americans who pay no federal income taxes drove liberals and the mainstream media into fits, Foster Friess on Monday made an argument that society is better off with more rich people.

Friess is one of the wealthiest and most generous people in the world, and he wrote a piece arguing the world would be better off if there were more “fat cats” like him, less government, and more reliance on the free market.

Friess made many valid points, but his arguments became more significant after a video of Romney’s comments at a fundraiser in May was leaked to the left-wing publication Mother Jones.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States has seen more government and less wealth creation and, according to Friess, that has made the country worse off.

“What do wealthy people do with their money?,” Friess asked in the Newsweek column. “They can only buy so many cars, houses, and steak dinners. So we either give it away or invest it.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

. . . if there were more “fat cats” like him, less government . . .

Most fat cats only exist because of crony capitalism and contractor collusion. In a real fair or free market, making money is VERY DIFFICULT and after decades prices would be deadly competitive by now instead of inflation which is the fault of the Fed reserve or fiat printing and exotic trading like the stock market which is inflated 1000 times normal value, or fractionated trading of commodities that do not exist or monetization-commoditisation of DEBT which is ridiculous and ILLEGAL because one cannot collect of as of yet labour that has no guarantee upon compound interest WHILE jobless to boot!

Even machines have a shelf life, need maintainance at levels that could never pay off loans for the price of the machine alone much less flesh and blood humans who do far worse than machines on top of being pressured for loan repayments that a jobless society which colludes on EVERYTHING, even political free thought which can get the psychiatric establishment down on dissidents and activists.

So think when a supposed fat cat spends the GDP of a small country, while being in debt 10 to 1 million times of whatever effort any 401K person can put in with the ‘poor’ having no access to housing loans (which should not be compound interest but simple interest or basic entrepreneurial loans, let alone exotic trades), simply because the state will bail out that person who is viewed as accountable by the bank rather than the honest 99% working class type, while ‘massive debt types’ viewed as plutocracy get to destroy the nation.

Finally while more rich people are good, when extreme wealth sequestration of the entire nation say at a 1.61 to 300,000,000+million ratio (1:15,000,000+ or a 1 to 15 million ratio – the 1% owns 15 million times that of the 99%!!!), rather than an enforced limit of 1% to 99% ratio at least, Capitalist limits (like 1% of 1000 top richest people must not be above 1% of the nation’s collective sequesterable wealth) to wealth sequestration NO MORE THAN the richest being 100 times the poorest, are still needed. What 20 million in limits does is make 50 times a 401K a maximum norm. Who among the 99 people of a population of 100 wants to tolerate a single person being worth 15 million times more than their 401K – when they are only worth 401K? Simple math and facts that cannot be ignored. The fat cats are still too fat, the banks and state apparatus will not lend to the 99% and as of now the 161 (or lets say 50,000) richest hold probably 15 million times the poorest collectively! Then read the below pro1% schmooze article . . .http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-20/poverty-inequality-aren-t-as-bad-as-you-think-view.html

When everyone is worth 20 million the remainder can go to USA’s favourite groups of 3rd world nations of choice for ETHICAL expansion of influence. Socialist limits on Capitalism! 20 million wealth limits on everyone. And just look at the NLP in the title of the article . . . Poverty and Inequality ARE ALWAYS BAD. Saying *Not as bad as ‘you’ think’* is apologism for the plutocracy if anything. Shame on Bloomberg! People are dying and getting thrown out of their homes and the 1% gets a ‘not so bad’ article to mock the 99% with?

Mindboggling numbers of the richest. Redistribute already. Millions of Americans do not have access to healthcare, to education, to food and shelter even. Selfish plutocrats sequestering wealth forget that without the ‘unwashed masses’ of low wealth citizens or ‘chattering classes’ of mid wealth citizens, and the would-be plutocrat seeming lessers of the ‘high wealth of ‘a acceptable handful of millions’ BUT STILL working’ classes, the true plutocrat would have NO SOCIETY to look good for or nation to be part of! Obviously in the best interest of the plutocrat to ensure that healthcare, education, food and shelter are a given, so that USA will not end up being a puppet of creditor nations!

It’s not just his giant income or the low tax rates he pays on it. And it’s not just the videotape of him berating almost half of America, or his endless gaffes, or his regressive budget policies.

It’s something that unites all of this, and connects it to the biggest underlying problem America faces — the unprecedented concentration of wealth and power at the very top that’s undermining our economy and destroying our democracy.

Romney just released his 2011 tax returns, showing he paid $1.9 million in taxes on more than $13 million of income last year — for an effective tax rate of 14.1 percent. (He released his 2010 return in January, showing he paid an effective tax rate of 13.9 percent.)

American has had hugely wealthy presidents before — think of Teddy Roosevelt and his distant cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt; or John F. Kennedy, beneficiary of father Joe’s fortune.

But here’s the difference. These men were champions of the working class and the poor, and were considered traitors to their own class. Teddy Roosevelt railed against the “malefactors of great wealth,” and he busted up the oil and railroad trusts.

FDR thundered against the “economic royalists,” raised taxes on the wealthy, and gave average working people the right to form unions — along with Social Security, unemployment insurance, a minimum wage, and a 40-hour workweek.

But Mitt Romney is not a traitor to his class. He is a sponsor of his class. He wants to cut their taxes by $3.7 trillion over the next decade, and hasn’t even specified what “loopholes” he’d close to make up for this gigantic giveaway.

And he wants to cut benefits that almost everyone else relies on — Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, unemployment insurance, and housing assistance.

He’s even a warrior for his class, telling his wealthy followers his job isn’t to worry about the “47 percent” of Americans who won’t vote for him, whom he calls “victims” and he berates for not paying federal incomes taxes and taking federal handouts.

(He mangles these facts, of course. Almost all working Americans pay federal taxes — and the federal taxes that have been rising fastest for most people are Social Security payroll taxes, which aren’t collected on a penny of income over $110,100. Moreover, most of the “47 percent” whom he accuses of taking handouts are on Medicare or Social Security — the biggest “entitlement” programs — which, not incidentally, they paid into during their working lives.)

Money means power. Concentrated wealth at the top means extraordinary power at the top. The reason Romney pays a rate of only 14 percent on $13 million of income in 2011 — a lower rate than many in the middle class — is because he exploits a loophole that allows private equity managers to treat their income as capital gains, taxed at only 15 percent.

And that loophole exists solely because private equity and hedge fund managers have so much political clout — as a result of their huge fortunes and the money they’ve donated to political candidates — that neither party will remove it.

In other words, everything America is learning about Mitt Romney — his tax returns, his years at Bain Capital, the video of his speech to high-end donors in which he belittles half of America, his gaffes, the budget policies he promotes — repeat and reenforce the same underlying reality.

So much wealth and power have accumulated at the top of America that our economy and our democracy are seriously threatened. Romney not only represents this problem. He is the living embodiment of it.

http://robertreich.org/
Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley, was Secretary of Labor in the Clinton administration. Time Magazine named him one of the ten most effective cabinet secretaries of the last century. He has written (more…)

ARTICLE 4

Thoughts on the 1982 Pontiac Trans Am

The third-generation Pontiac Firebird was a stunner. Its sleek lines made the old 1970–1981 second-gen ‘Bird look like a relic. The shape set a new standard for aerodynamics. The bodywork, especially in Trans Am guise, was tasteful and clean. When it debuted, everyone forgot about the poorly performing 1980–1981 Turbo Trans Ams. The ’82 even got a starring role in Knight Rider as KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand), seen here.

Well, a fresh redesign with cutting-edge aero doesn’t necessarily equate to performance under the hood. In fact, for 1982 the Firebird’s standard engine was a 2.5-liter 90-hp four-cylinder. That’s right, a four-cylinder engine in a Firebird. Yes, there was a V-8 option. But if you selected the four-speed manual, that 5.0-liter Chevrolet-sourced V-8 pumped out just 145 horses. The “Cross-Fire Injected” 5.0-liter V-8 was available with an automatic only, and though it was torque-rich, this motor didn’t produce more than 165 hp.

The bright spot was just two short years away. By 1984, a 190-hp 5.0-liter HO motor replaced that Cross-Fire Injected engine.

No. 145 horses could pull a 100 wagon train (actually single persons have pulled the same or Airbuses), a Pontiac TA could only pull the engine car of a train alone. This is dishonest and a lie, a gross exaggeration about the number of horses the car is worth for value of money. The Trans Am is worth 3 to 6 horses at most, and is severely overpriced and marketed as up to 50 times as many horses that so many other cars of the day cars do not have. How many cars can what one spends on a Trans Am buy? Trans Ams DO NOT have 145 horses worth of power, though they cost 145 or more horses . . . Overpriced and inefficient compared to ACTUAL horses (which can be eaten and preserved in event of disaster). The BMW Z3 below is another example of LIES, being worth no more than 3 horses at most.

BMW Z3 (E36/4) (1996–2002)

Pierce Brosnan was far from the best James Bond, and the Z3 he drove in GoldenEye, BMW’s first modern mass-market roadster, was anything but the Bavarian carmaker’s most memorable agent. Grossly underpowered from the get-go, the 138-hp, 1.9-liter four-cylinder was quickly substituted for a 2.8-liter straight six. Still, its sub-200-horse numbers weren’t anything to get excited about, and the car’s wallowy handling couldn’t match BMW’s sharp sedans. Nevertheless, the Z3 sold quite well, and perhaps that’s part of the problem—a car first marketed as a spy’s ride sold to many drivers too tall or broad to pull off the look. A rare coupe version, known by those at the company as “the shoe,” enjoyed a cult-like following because the car’s stiffer structure noticeably improved the handling. But it wasn’t until the next two generations of Z4 that BMW really left the roadster segment shaken and stirred.

Try the below for a list of horrendously unfashionable and aesthetically conventional vehicles EVER. The mainstream media ‘Popular Mechanics’ site has lost all sense of proportion here probably are colluding with the car companies who fund them to fracture buyers’ fashion senses and who knows promote UGLINESS as beautiful (making impossible for regular people to tell the difference between beautiful and ugly people to the media oligarchs’ nepotistic benefit), these cars have neither attitude nor lines of vehicles designed 20 years back . . .

The 2012 Ferrari FF can haul 450 litres of luggage with the rear seats up, 800 litres with the seats folded down. How much can a clydesdale horse pull? Three times it’s own weight, Which is around 2000-2400 lbs. The max. load of the Ferrari California is 1,025 lbs. So guess what? The fact of the matter is that the Ferrari FF does not even have a single or 1 ‘horsepower’. 100s of horses under the hood is a blatant marketing lie when barely 0.5 horses is more accurate.

Why should any vehicle cost as much as a Ferrari when a horse costs 1000s of times less but pulls 3 times as much, and when coupled with ‘changes’ of horses (that could be housed in the ‘corral’ boot while the horses ‘on shift’ run), could in fact run as far and fast as a Ferrari WITHOUT constant and pollutive, also expensive fuel but with regular feed instead. Stores of feed and water if carried as well makes for indefinite travel WITHOUT fuel costs.

The only issue is speed which in either case is always dangerous and in dense conditions makes the speed of a Ferrari quite useless and unnecessary. As for aesthetics and design (or the need to hide horses from sight), a larger version of the car will be a necessity that the kiddies and joyriders will not want but compared against the pollution issues the necessity not optional, the world is being destroyed by pollution . . . also a car where standing is possible should be nicer than always being seated? Include a bar and a kitchen or toilet as well using that space. Or an indoor pool/jacuzzi. See below pic for the green solution :

Need for light weight materials (could still have a protective bar of heavy rubber for prevention of accidents etc.) will be necessary.

So vote for the 99% who won’t allow the DMV to place controls that make no sense on what car one can or cannot drive. In fact, flying cars or at least VTOL cars should be the norm by now after near 200 years of land based vehicles since the 1800s. The government and policy regulators are forcing people to use tolled roads if anything. Fly a VTOL or heli and land that in your balcony, drop the airline industry and fly DIRECT to the country of your choice ! Heck why do we even need passports which we need to pay for at all to begin with even, especially if we are not criminals? Only criminals need passports, everyone else should be travelling AND migrating freely.

Altercations over polite behavior on public transportation offer a window on a changing society, reports Tang Yue.

If you’re riding the bus or subway and see a pregnant woman, an elderly person or young child standing up in front of you, you might want to think seriously about offering them your seat.

If you don’t, you may discover that the consequences are serious, given that a number of altercations have happened recently and some have even ended in violence.

Don’t take seat disputes sitting down

On Aug 23, a young man on a bus in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, did not give up his seat to a pregnant woman. As a result, he was given five sharp slaps across the head by the woman’s disgruntled husband, despite the fact that he wasn’t occupying any of the seats usually reserved for the elderly and infirm, and, moreover, had a crippled leg.

Three days after that incident, a woman slapped a man on a bus in Jinan, Shandong province, after he failed to respond to a public announcement asking seated passengers to consider other travelers. Instead of offering his seat to the woman’s daughter, aged around 6 years old, the man simply turned his back on them. Enraged, the mother struck him repeatedly and shouted, “I am fulfilling your mother’s obligation to educate you.”

The aggression hasn’t only affected men. Media reports of aggressive behavior include that of an elderly man in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, who sat on a young woman’s lap after she refused his request to give up her seat. A similar incident is reported to have happened in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Public opinion suggests that, while those who doggedly refused to offer up their seat weren’t acting from noble instincts, the actions of those who beat them were antisocial and unnecessarily violent.

So what makes people feel justified about the use of force against those who fail to comply with their wishes?

As China undergoes rapid urbanization, people who have grown up in an “acquaintance society”, one where everyone knows everyone else in the neighborhood, face challenges from the increasing need for daily interaction with strangers, according to Yang Yiyin, director of the social psychology research office at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing.

“In traditional Chinese society, where people are tied by family and blood relationships, emotions and morals, rather than reason and law, guide people’s behavior,” said Xiao Qunzhong, professor of ethics at Renmin University of China.

As a result, people tend to automatically, but mistakenly, use their sense of moral superiority to legitimize their behavior, including the use of verbal and physical violence.

However, while the traditional mindset remains, tragedies such as the case of Xiao Yueyue a 2-year-old girl who died after being ignored by 18 passers-by as she lay in the street in Foshan, Guangdong province after she had been hit by a car and then run over twice more also indicate a value-system in flux as the country moves through a period of rapid social transformation, said Xiao.

“Civil society in China is not as developed as in the West. People are still learning how to respect the fundamental rights of others and the bottom line for behavior,” he said.

Stranger society

To deal with other passengers on a bus, where people come and go in a very short time and very limited space, serves as a very good test of social attitudes. It’s one many people fail, noted Yang Yiyin of the CASS.

“You will always see female colleagues or friends trying very hard to persuade each other to take the only seat, even if there are only a couple of stops to go,” said Yang, 57. “But they still don’t know how to negotiate with strangers.

“That helps to explain why those with a sense of moral superiority just skip the discussion process and begin dictating to strangers, sometimes in a very rude manner.”

People in the West have more experience in dealing with everyday public life and are better at expressing their needs and opinions, be it through lectures, negotiation or debate, she noted.

Zheng Liudi, a 29-year-old who rides the subway to work in Shanghai, knows exactly what Yang means. Zheng said most people are pleasant when help is offered. However, she said that on occasion, usually just as she was about to offer her seat to someone else, she has noticed a “You owe me” look in the eyes of seniors or mothers with young children. “I change my mind, then. I just dislike their attitude,” she said.

She recalled that on one occasion, a woman in her 50s kicked her shoes from time to time. “I think she did it on purpose, to hint that she wanted the seat. But there was no way I would offer it to her under those circumstances,” said Zheng.

“These extreme examples of wrangling over a seat also reflect a general feeling of anxiety and irritability,” according to Yang.

Individual personality, values and the prevalent mood at the time of an incident all contribute to people’s behavior. The background socially, however, is that many people are highly stressed and restless, and thus tend to appear aggressive on such occasions, she said.

“The prevailing mood in China now is being competitive every single second and not miss a single opportunity to gain something, anything. Sometimes, people just use incidents such as these as an outlet for suppressed anger,” she explained.

Just too crowded

Regular users of public transportation might not know much about social theory; but they certainly feel the social reality during rush hours in the mega-cities and fully realize that a seat on a crowded bus or train is a precious commodity.

Every working day at 6:30 am, Jiang Xin, a 26-year-old auditor in Beijing, gets on the bus at the first stop on the route. Her journey takes roughly 90 minutes.

“At first, I used to sit down as soon as I got on the bus, just near the ticket seller. But I found I had to give up my seat several times on each journey and felt exhausted when I arrived at my office. So I changed seats and now sit in the corner instead,” she said.

“On the weekend, I always offer my seat to people if they need it, but during the working week I really need that seat in the corner so I can take a nap.”

Qin Jianhua is not as lucky. The 31-year-old works in Beijing, but bought an apartment in Yanjiao, Hebei province, in 2009. His daily commute to work takes two hours door to door, including one hour on the bus, a 10-minute walk and another 50 minutes on the subway.

The bus is always crowded, so it requires an enormous effort just to get on and there are always four or five passengers always standing crammed on a single step by the door. People always swear loudly if they can’t squeeze on and some even block the road to stop the bus if they can’t gain access, he said.

“When I’m on a comfortable bus, I give up my seat if others need it. But it’s always so crowded and smelly on the bus I take to work. Everyone is very sleepy, almost collapsing, so giving up your seat would be the last thing you’d want to do,” said Qin. The bus trip got old quickly, so Qin now lives in a rented apartment near his office during the working week and only goes home on the weekend.

The experience has given him a fresh insight into the issue: “Don’t judge someone until you have been in his shoes. That person may be aggressive on the bus, but may also behave politely in a different environment,” he said. “Also, standards seem to vary. I’ve seen some people happily and politely give up their seats to seniors, but the same people acted totally differently to a migrant worker. So, how do you rate them?” he asked.

Yang Wanli and He Na contributed to the story.

Contact the reporter at tangyue@chinadaily.com.cn

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Low density is dignity but also a vulnerability. And lower classes among Chinese regardless of wealth level who think in this manner are in that case unsuited to high density living. They just don’t know this fact. A people tied by family and blood relationships, emotions and morals, cannot exist in high density conditions without basis on reason and law. Thus best that Chinese with the village mentality of entitlement to the property of others physical or spiritual, stick to low density venues or learn modern civility.

If anyone touched another in the westernized model, they’d be assaulted back, or if civilised would find themselves in a lawsuit. This is why the Chinese not familiar with modern society need to attend a training course or mix with high density familiar people, before moving out from the villages and vice verse for the situation reversed. Culture shock. And don’t even go near discussions on toilet habits and LGBT activity unless particularly prepared for the fight of your life . . . that dildo will be murder to your neighbour and if the laws are anti-LGBT or based on fundo policy, then it’s back to the stone ages. This is also why elderly are neglected in some places and times to come, as society ‘densifies’ the lower density types will be outnumbered and die off. Not the best scenario but preservation of low density and high density and transition education between both must be thought through by migrants to avoid problems.

Russia’s anti-corruption drive should be boosted by introducing constant video surveillance on officials, limiting their maximum term of service and banning personal meetings with citizens, the leader of the Liberal Democrats said.

Vladimir Zhirinovsky was speaking at the “Open Tribune” meeting, dedicated to future measures to rein in corruption. The politician suggested a small leniency in the planned anti-corruption bill, saying that at the first stage it must be applied only to a narrow circle of officials, not to them all, as there are about 5 million of them in Russia.

He added that the narrowing of the group that falls under control would allow the control to become stricter.

Among the most urgent measures the MP implied that the maximum term of stay in any official post should be limited to 10 years. Another call was to limit the civil servants’ communication with the population to email or conventional mail, as ruling out personal contact would seriously hamper bribery on both sides.

Besides, Zhirinovsky suggested that video surveillance be conducted in official’s offices and cars, as well as constant monitoring of all their electronic communications.

As a final measure, Zhirinovsky said that the government should introduce a total ban on business people assuming posts in state structures or state-owned companies. He did not specify if this should apply to working entrepreneurs or to all those who have previously tried their hands at business.

Sergey Mironov, the leader of another opposition party – Fair Russia – reminded of his party’s previous initiative to introduce confiscation of all property from those convicted of corruption along with the property of their family members. In this connection he also suggested broadening the definition of close relatives to include parents, children, siblings, spouses and grandparents.

The Communist Party suggested that any member of parliament could be checked for business dealings at any time and without an official complaint from the third party. The Liberal Democrats seconded the move.

Accusations of business dealings have recently become a real weapon in Russian politics. Earlier this month, the State Duma voted to deprive a Fair Russia MP of his seat over allegations he was continuing to operate companies in Bulgaria.

Before the vote to oust him took place, MP Gennady Gudkov published documents that allegedly testified to the fact that many other MPs were doing the same thing, including the members of the ruling party, United Russia.

On Thursday the special commission announced that they checked reports on five United Russia MPs and four of them were cleared of charges of running a business while working in the lower house. However, the commission decided to continue the probe into one MPs case and invited him for personal consultations.

Commentator Comments :

Iron curtains WITHIN Iron curtains. So very KGB in a respectable-fear/awe inspiring ‘Matryoshka doll’ manner that will make people, especially 99% types worldwide love Russianness. Soviet Union again anyone? Bring back a limited form of Communism, Capitalist limits of 20 million for wealth sequestration!

@Crusader148 September 20, 2012, 20:03

Zhirinovsky is a total nut-job, but camera surveillance of officials makes perfect sense. Anything that curbs corruption is welcome.

@Count Cash September 20, 2012, 19:44

Excellent! Now we are starting to get the simple concept across, it is the state that must be monitored by the citizen. This is the game changer, the conceptual innovation that I have wanted here. Then add the icing on the cake with separation of wealth and civil service and politics, natural cycling in and out of civil servants (no jobs for life for many) plus big risks for corruption and we are then getting the concepts correct. HOWEVER, the devil is in the detail, and we can absolutely make a mess going too quickly without thinking through all the proposals. When we appreciate this, to go step by step in phases, then we get the next concept right, and that is wide consultation, wider than the Duma, wider than the systematic opposition, we must open this debate to all including the ‘opposition’ and all stakeholders, to put real lean flesh on the concepts. We are starting to get the compass working, so who has the guts to set the course and work the ropes! Or who has the laziness to just sit along for the ride, or worse just moan they can’t be captain to massage their egos on the voyage!

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The KGB juniors should get lots of training here before being posted overseas to spy on foreign countries. More Russianness? Paranoia attacks for the non-Commie/Red governments not allied to Russia anyone? Some background (not sure if accurate on Vladimir Zhirinovsky) follows below . . .

Who was Vladimir Zhirinovsky? – TalmudTimmy at 2009-05-02 18:52 CET:Vladimir Volfovich Eidelstein was a crypto-Jew who aided the Communist massacre machine in the Soviet Union which murdered millions upon millions of people.(He was the colonel of the Russian Army, founder and the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, and a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Despite its name, the LDPR is often described as an ultra-nationalist party) – WikipediaSo why was Zhirinovsky rallying Russians, during the reign of red terror, with mild anti-semitic slogans? He was rounding up dissent, the resisters, the ones who know who was really in control of Sovietism (Bolshevism). By shepherding and gaining the trust of the resistance, he was able to help lead and direct them, ultimately to their own demise like sheep to the slaughter. By rounding up resistance to the Jewish Bolsheviks, Soviet over a once Christian nation, was strengthened.Now who do we know of today who demonstrates similar characteristics? Guys like Alex Jones and others in the so called “Truth Movement.” Jones, will at times, mildly criticize Israel in a similar way to Zhirinovsky. Is Jones gaining the trust of disseneters so that the New World Order resistance can be more easily rounded up? Time will tell. We do know that Alex Jones is a Zionist in one form or another, and his wife Violet and children are Jewish.

Crypto-Judaism in the USSR was able to penetrate every faction of government and every “people’s” movement so as to lead both opposing sides of the conflict. Crypto-Jewry was able to control and direct the opposition to a problem they created. Now why would the American-based “truth” movement be any less controlled and directed by the decendants of the Bolsheviks and their Judaic banking swindle?

Jones has several Jews working with him in studio and on his many documentaries, which always leave the Zionist question out, and instead, offer mysterious and ultimately lower-level groups like the Bilderbergers as the target of dissent. Jason Bermas, the new host of the infowarrior (an Alex Jones created show) mocks and says that anti-Judaics should kill themselves. Alex Jones’ best friend Joe Rogan is a Jewish comedian. Alex’s wife Violet (Kelly) is Jewish along with their two children, one who is named Einstein. According to other sources, the producers of Alex Jones’ recent film “The Obama Deception,” are Jewish. There are several examples from live shows, where Alex fiddles for the Jews and denies the Zionists. -TT

The highly-trained female agents from Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, leave their male compatriots in the dust. Five agents spoke about their “movie-style” lives for the first time, revealing a world dominated by deadly efficient femmes fatales.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

First Iran, then Israel. So men don’t fight anymore? Perhaps Israel and Iran had better look through the Talmud and the Quran again and take a leaf from Xians who at least have Stepford wives in a natural patrilineal society with MASCULINE characteristics. No sense of chivalry for the men of both these nations. No sense of femininity for the women of both these nations. Well that shows that countries ruled by the heart and emotions wind up under women. Or in China’s case by Dowagers unaware of what goes on outside the Palace. Men are needed if a country is to be viable. God would never approve of women going to war and if the entire system if skewed politically towards women as well, Israel will cease to exist even without taking on Iran.

Some parts of society (women and children – think child soldiers – are just off limits and if no REAL MEN draw the lines and limits, the rest of the world knows how to say – Your mom wears combat boots (well this is tolerable when a country is at war but a slide towards barbarism overall if entire populaces are militarized) . . . and we all know what a society or nation is worth when class and social ‘niceties’ (actually a sense of morality) like refusing to abet recruitment of child soldiers, or less so, women soldiers, the sense of structure goes out the window. The nation gets one morass of sexless, gender insensitive clones . . . ). Some parts of the world are degenerating quite quickly civilisationally . . . bunch of fetish addled fundos posing as being battle ready. Women’s rights aren’t even properly affirmed in Iran and Israel, and now they want to send women to war? Greeeeaat, next the feminazis will become pedonazis and will start promoting ‘child soldiers’ as well . . .

If I were either Mossad or CIA, I’d watch out for the NLP factor, synchronicity, women’s ‘hive minds’ and the copycat effect. Through Islam and god cop bad cop tactics (possibly Sunni/Shiite for every death on either side caused by either has a will and intent directable – thats why either faction’s leaders don’t care if either factions followers kill themselves), they intend to subvert the men of Israel and USA through spirit and prayer and women. Everytime something is named, or spoken of, a US or Israel official bought over, the ‘West’ and the main competitors for Monotheism in Xianity and Judaism become weaker. Think deeper, this is about cultural domination through mindless solidarity and subversion.

It turns out that China’s been mixing its nuclear missiles in with its conventional ones at the same military bases. Not really, uh, advisable: that makes it really hard for other countries to figure out if a Chinese missile launch is just a conventional one or the beginnings of a nuclear Armageddon. But fret not — while China’s missile mingling may not be very sensible, it’s not going to cause World War III.

In what’s thought to be the first comprehensive, non-governmental report on China’s nuclear warplans, John Lewis, a professor of Chinese politics at Stanford University, reveals that China stores its nuclear and conventional missiles in the same locations. Writing in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Lewis warns that the intermingling could trigger a nuclear launch: once another nation watched a Chinese missile blast off, it might trigger a nuclear retaliation from a confused, panicked Russia or United States. And then, should the Chinese see their nuclear assets targeted and destroyed, they might conceivable launch their surviving nuclear warheads.

Nor is Lewis convinced that China’s military policies are characterized by restraint. “The notion that China only acts in self defense is wrong,” he tells Danger Room. “Their whole war plan is aimed at attacking Taiwan.”

That said, even Lewis thinks China’s missile ambiguity is unlikely to result in a nuclear exchange. (In fact, he emphasizes that the Chinese government actually encouraged him to write his piece — as a gesture of transparency.) And other experts agree that the Chinese missile move is merely stupid, not suicidal.

Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear weapons analyst at the Monterrey Institute of International Studies, says the de facto presumption in the case of a missile launch is that China isn’t going nuclear. The People’s Republic has a declared no-first-use policy; China isn’t going to nuke, say, Japan over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu islands.

And James Dobbins, a former U.S. ambassador to a host of conflict zones, thinks the U.S. isn’t buckwild enough to go nuclear over a confusing missile launch. “I don’t believe the U.S. would launch a nuclear strike on warning in response to a Chinese ballistic attack on U.S. or allied targets,” Dobbins tells Danger Room.

So why would China group its nuclear and conventional missiles together? Experts largely agree that the decision was a logistical one and “practical, not rational,” says Monterrey’s Jeffrey Lewis. Another theory: the Chinese think launching a conventional weapon from a nuclear base would prevent a counterattack, since an adversary is unlikely to take the risk of bombing a nuclear weapons base.

There’s also another possibility: a lumbering, dumb bureaucracy keeps the missiles group together out of inertia. The Chinese may make bad missile decisions. But under that theory, at least their reasons for those bad decisions will be familiar to the Pentagon.
Benjamin Plackett

Benjamin Plackett is a freelance science writer and an intern in WIRED’s New York office.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Half baked hawk. Not as simple as sight and shoot. The Chinese do this to keep strategy ambiguous (they WANT to obscure the fact of if a nuke or conventional was fired, though ethically this is not healthy, but in war life or death will be more important, though in peacetime this indeed reflects badly on the Chinese – they still have the ‘cost saving excuse’ if the intent is not the main issue . . . though a wealthy nation whuch China is not exactly despite the un-Communist wealth of the Chinese leadership, which makes such cost saving necessary . . . ), and any other nuisance behaviour on purpose while saving money. Read your Sun Tzu. Lumbering and dumb? Not in the slightest. Their reasons for those ‘bad decisions’ are not even familiar to the Chinese citizens.

In fact Taiwan and China might be good cop/bad copping USA. How does that sound when more and more advanced weapons end up in Taiwanese hands? See? And that is only Fu Manchu 18th century tactics, unlike Suntzu’s Strategy dating from 700bc. If I were USA, I’d leave the region alone and focus on consolidating the Middle East, before USA becomes a pawn of Taiwan that may become the tail that China wags the USA dog with. Try that for Chineseness!

One of the more well-known stories about Sun Tzu, taken from Shiji, illustrates Sun Tzu’s temperament as follows: Before hiring Sun Tzu, the King of Wu tested Sun Tzu’s skills by commanding him to train a harem of 180 concubines into soldiers. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, appointing the two concubines most favored by the king as the company commanders. When Sun Tzu first ordered the concubines to face right, they giggled. In response, Sun Tzu said that the general, in this case himself, was responsible for ensuring that soldiers understood the commands given to them. Then, he reiterated the command, and again the concubines giggled. Sun Tzu then ordered the execution of the king’s two favored concubines, to the king’s protests. He explained that if the general’s soldiers understood their commands but did not obey, it was the fault of the officers. Sun Tzu also said that, once a general was appointed, it was his duty to carry out his mission, even if the king protested. After both concubines were killed, new officers were chosen to replace them. Afterwards, both companies performed their maneuvers flawlessly

The Chinese missile move probably is INTENDED to merely ‘look’ stupid or is made to look stupid by some writers, HOPEFULLY suicidal. But is neither. Who knows the Chinese want to bait the USA into building even more hardware that needs to be maintained? Or hope that USA keeps sending more hardware to Taiwan that may be secretly reverse engineered?

As the House of Representatives prepares to conclude its legislative business this week and bolt Washington for a six-week recess ahead of the election Nov. 6, Republicans deflected concerns about Mitt Romney’s campaign today, launching a counterattack against President Obama with a barrage of complaints about the president’s “failure to lead” during the past two years of divided Congress.

Addressing reporters following a conference meeting that featured a speech by GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, House Speaker John Boehner did not directly address videos released on the internet earlier this week that show Romney telling a Florida fundraiser last May that 47 percent of the country’s voting population thinks of themselves as victims and are dependent on the government.

“Listen, this election is about jobs. We’ve said it for 20 months and it hasn’t changed,” Boehner, R-Ohio, began when asked about the videos. “Forty-three consecutive months where our unemployment is above 8 percent, and everybody’s going to try to make this election about everything other than what it is. The American people are asking the question, ‘Where are the jobs,’ and so the focus is on jobs.”

“The president’s economic policies have failed, and the American people know it,” he continued. “Mitt Romney has a background where he’s created jobs, he’s got a background where he understands what government can do to destroy jobs, and he has a plan to put Americans back to work. And that’s what this election’s going to be about.”

Pressed whether he agrees with the sentiment of the GOP presidential nominee’s comments considering his own humble upbringing, Boehner conceded that “both campaigns on both sides” will have moments “that get off the message.”

“Listen, the election is about jobs. It’s not about anything else. I’ve had family members who have lost their jobs in this downturn. Two of my brothers, two of my brother-in-laws. I know what’s happening out there and I know how difficult this economy is,” he said. “The message is let’s stay focused on jobs because that’s what the American people want us to stay focused on.”

Rep. Kevin Brady, the vice chairman of the Joint Economic committee, recalled a recent interview where President Obama gave himself an incomplete grade on his economic leadership.

“I don’t know what curve he was grading himself on, but the truth is, he’s dead last,” Brady said. “This president has failed the economic leadership. It is not an incomplete. It’s an F.”

Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., criticized the president for “either blaming others or avoiding challenging problems that face our nation,” and she recalled bipartisan cooperation that Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan managed during their own presidencies and divided Congress.

“The president is the leader of his party and yet he refuses to do anything about the overwhelming dysfunction of the Democrat-led Senate. He’s too busy blaming us Republicans for the failing economy,” Black said. “Divided government is clearly not an excuse for President Obama’s failure to lead, and in the absence of strong presidential leadership America is struggling. Today more than ever, we need a president who is not only willing but able to lead our country.”

With recent polling in many battleground states showing a boost for Obama, Boehner insisted that the race is “far from over” and pointed to a Gallup poll that showed just a one-point lead for the president.

“Think about this as a card game,” Boehner said. “The president has played his cards. His economy policies have failed, his foreign policy has failed, [and] his energy policy has failed. His cards are played. Mitt Romney has a plan to get our economy back on track.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Be honest.

– economy policies have failed – every President except possibly Clinton had a surplus but even that might have been from turning the graph upside down ‘hordes of terrorists’ situation.
– foreign policy has failed – maybe but no President has even had to deal with a post Iraq and at least China and Russia have not decided to side with Iran instead siding with USA, not a failure, not exactly spectacular but a pass at least
– energy policy has failed – all energy policy based on fossil or nuke are failures. The main failure is not importing Solar Panels at state level COMMIE style to give free power to the people with at ‘bulk prices’ through the Chinese government. Stop importing oil from ‘terrorist countries’ as well.

Last weeks or months of an exam can be ‘crammed’ for though the family members and neighbours can hinder by being noisy or problematic or unconducive to study. Maybe incomplete still stands because ALOT can change in 6 months, like Iraq becomes USA’s focus and Japan gets dropped so that Iran can be dealt with properly with USA making China the ‘Deputy’ Sheriff’ and main military mainstay rather than Japan (actually more like Sheriff of the East’).

These Muslims think people are stupid and believe their lies and disrespect the UN treaties or secular lifestyles, impose Islam justified apartheid, or even LGBT culture. Obama needs to look at the so-called allies, could be that the Sunnites are trying to pull a fast one on USA by drawing USA into the Middle East in Iran. Israel can’t even think straight, but who would be able to, given the way Muslims behave regards the above mentioned areas?

Trafficking class for men using prostitutes – August 13th, 2012 – 09:26 AM ET By Richard Roth and Patrick Feeeney

CNN – More than 25 men sit in an attorney’s office – each was arrested for prostitution-related offences and each is now trying to avoid jail.

But this is not a defense lawyer’s office. It’s the Brooklyn district attorney’s office and the road away from jail is a lesson in the risks of using prostitutes – Johns School.

Assistant District Attorney Grace Brainard tells them: “The crimes you were arrested for would lead to one penalty and one penalty only and that is jail time. And the next time you are arrested for prostitution, jail time will be the only offer on the table.”

The men were arrested for attempting to pay for sex from undercover policewomen posing as prostitutes on the streets of New York. Men who solicit prostitutes are so-called ‘johns’ and this gathering is known as Johns School.

It’s a program that teaches the dangers and penalties of prostitution and sex trafficking. It’s been going on for the past 10 years under the official name of Project Respect conducted by the Kings County (Brooklyn), NY District Attorney’s office.

Because of their clean record of no previous arrests, the men were given the opportunity to take the three-hour plus course – which cost them more than $300 – and avoid time behind bars. They could have had their day in court but risk of jail time was of great concern.

Rhonnie Jaus, the chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau, said the class attempts to sensitize and educate the men on the dangers of prostitution to both the John and the prostitute.

“You think you’re having sex with an adult, and it turns out it could be something quite different,” Jaus said, “It could be a trafficked child brought from China, brought from South America, so there are many different ramifications of this crime.”

Brainard emphasized that most girls enter prostitution between the ages of 11 and 14. “They were children when they entered this life,” she said.

The men also listened to a lecture from Rosetta Menifee, a former prostitute who had contracted HIV.

“Obviously the goal is not for them (the johns) to do it again,” Menifee said, “but the reality is a lot of them will, so the goal is really to talk about what the risks are so that the have the knowledge of it from different perspectives, and hopefully they’ll make better choices.”

Different speakers pointed out the different risks inherent with solicitation.

Grace Pabarue, a public health educator at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, highlighted sexually transmitted diseases in a photo slideshow.

Former NYPD Lieutenant Jeff Anderson said a prostitute could be a potential threat to a John. “Some of them are emotionally disturbed, some of them abuse drugs,” Anderson said. “Many prostitutes can defend themselves, many prostitutes have defended themselves.”

One of the johns who wanted only to be identified as ‘Skeeter,’ said the course showed him different perspectives about the women forced to work in prostitution.

“Some of them have drug habits, maybe some of them work for pimps,” Skeeter said. “I wouldn’t feel good knowing that I’m paying that money, and it’s going to further keep someone so they’re enslaved.”

Prosecutor Jaus said that the sessions also help develop sex trafficking cases and can encourage johns to help prostitutes escape their situation.

“We’ve had a few cases in which the John actually brought the prostitute, who told him about the fact that she was being trafficked, to the police station,” Jaus said.

“He didn’t go in with the young woman, but he dropped her off because she was crying and told him, “look, I’ve been trafficked.””

Brainard told the johns they should report any case of sex trafficking they witness, even if they were soliciting at the time.

“Taking that step to get law enforcement involved does not mean you have to report it yourself,” Brainard said. “In fact, you don’t even have to give your name.”

At the end of the session the johns are given an Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal. If they avoid arrest over the following six months, the arrest is wiped off their record.

Despite Menifee’s fear that many will continue using prostitutes, Jaus said the course, which started in 2002, has seen a success rate of more than 90 percent. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve had over 3,000 attendees of the John School,” Jaus said.

“So we’ve only had 26 people rearrested in Brooklyn for patronizing, who have gone through the John school.”

None of the other boroughs of New York offer such an alternative.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“Obviously the goal is not for them (the johns) to do it again,” . . .

Excuse me, what Johns do with consenting adults of either or indeterminate gender is their own business, and the sex workers who make their own choices as well. This article entirely ignores the issue of consensual prostitutes and nominally illegalizes (quasi moralist-fundo style) the act of buying or selling sexual companionship. Could someone from PONY or SWOP or a relevant advocacy group please communicate with CNN on this unwanted borderline demogoguery? Other than that, the article is well and good, especially the part where Johns should report trafficked women and even drop such victims off at the police station.

But CNN forgets the consensual and Red Light District workers who are there by choice, or even preference and even makes sex workers into potential psychos with all that ‘defending themselves‘ or ‘disturbed‘ or ‘potential threat‘ language. A John is going to have abit of relaxation then be off on their way, just like from caveman times, nothing new here, nothing to make laws around or be woo-woo about. Let feminazi, alpha john, LGBT or good family have their spaces, there will however by no spaces for ‘proselytize into oblivion’ fundo-idealogical types trying to destroy spaces for any specific group.

ARTICLE 2

Prostitution should be legalized in Malaysia – Friday, August 6, 2010

The Star of August 6, 2010 highlighted on its front page the case of a van driver in Petaling Jaya accused of raping two minors. Why didn’t he satisfy his lust in a cheap brothel in Kuala Lumpur’s red-light districts such as Lorong Haji Taib or Brickfields? Simply because there are no more cheap brothels left for him to patronize! (A van driver can’t afford a RM200 full-service package in a high-class spa, can he?). Depending on which side of the fence you are on, it’s either thanks or no thanks to the efforts of our police. However, it has been postulated that the non-availability of sex workers to men who can’t control their desires is a contributing factor to rape. (I prefer to refer to prostitutes as sex-workers because they perform a service).

According to a website (http://prostitution.procon.org), prostitution is legal in 50 countries, enjoys limited legality in 10 countries, and is illegal in 40 other countries. Every men worth his testosterone knows the nearest sex haven is across the Causeway in Singapore’s Geylang district. If a country that bans chewing gum can permit prostitution and legal brothel ownership, something must be good to it. Of course, I’m referring to voluntary prostitution by adults, not forced prostitution or trafficked women. Just compare the number of sex crimes in Singapore as a percentage of its population to the same statistic for Malaysia.

In fact, empirical evidence has established the correlation between the lack of brothels and high number of rape cases in the following studies:

–Kirby R. Cundiff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Finance at Northeastern State University in his working paper entitled “Prostitution and Sex Crimes” submitted to Independent Institute on Apr. 8, 2004, wrote: “It is estimated that if prostitution were legalized in the United States, the rape rate would decrease by roughly 25% for a decrease of approximately 25,000 rapes per year…. The analysis seems to support the hypothesis that the rape rate could be lowered if prostitution was more readily available. This would be accomplished in most countries by its legalization.”

–R.N. Barber’s article entitled “Prostitution and Increasing Number of Convictions for Rape in Queensland” (Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology. 1969 (vol. 2 issue 3) stated: “A study conducted in Queensland… show[ed] a 149% increase in the rate of rape when legal brothels were closed in 1959, while other offenses against the person by males increased only 49%.”

So, my point is that sex workers perform a role in society by allowing men and women to relieve themselves of sexual tension and desire. Without this biological urge, given by God, humans would have become extinct long ago. Therefore, prostitution should be legalized in Malaysia and strictly regulated, of course.

If Turkey, which has a 99% Muslim population, can legalize prostitution, why not our country? Also, according to the Coalition Against Traficking in Women, Indonesia, another Muslim-majority country, has “localised bordello complexes, or ‘localisasi’ managed under local government regulations”. (http://www.catwinternational.org)

Sex website http://longpenisworld.com stated: “Though prostitution is technically illegal in Indonesia, the government continues to run and operate the Kramat Tunggak, a red-light district in North Jakarta. The largest in the world, the district spans 28 acres, with more than 220 brothels populated by between 1,000 to 2,000 girls.”

Another point is that so much attention is focused on female prostitution that male sex-workers are often overlooked in terms of arrests. For instance, why are female sex-workers always targetted in anti-vice raids? Have we ever read news of gigolos being caught by our anti-vice police? Yes, but seldom. (Even so, our mainstream newspapers don’t bother to show pictures of the arrested male sex-workers but pictures of female sex workers are often splashed prominently in prime pages.)

The scores of male sex-workers in our gay massage parlours, spas and gyms are often left alone to enjoy their sodomy in bliss, not to mention the straight studs servicing ageing widows, divorcees, old spinsters and bored housewives with impotent husbands. (A Google search will hook up several Kuala Lumpur-based agencies offering male escorts).

Industry sources have told me stories of policemen posing as customers to visit brothels and nabbing female sex-workers. If the law is to be imposed across genders, shouldn’t policemen also pose as customers in gay massage parlours to nab male sex-workers? Maybe catching male prostitutes is not fun enough for our he-man cops?

Also, why aren’t our policewomen pretending to be customers of masseurs-cum-gigolos and arresting them when they offer sex?

Gender equality should also extend to the way sex-workers are handled by the police.

Definitely an alpha minded type writer, ladies look no further for an example of alpha minded MALE, (guys – here’s that role model missing from society or your henpecked home conditions), though does not look particularly alpha, (well maybe was much bigger/muscular/hairier when younger . . . ) all Ewe needs is to have a music production business on the side and to put on that shiny suit, give Dr. Detroit a run for the money . . . Ah the era of wine, women and song for non-Muslims in Malaysia can begin if alpha males finally legislate legalized RLDs or adult (film) industry . . . run for candidacy in the informal RLD districts in Malaysia, the syndicates would be glad to become legal and have access to legal workers with the adult patrons having access to legal workers as well as the sex workers possibly being able to demand a pension plan as well, instead of running around playing catch with the cops.

Ewe Paik Leong is a Kuala Lumpur-based writer and editor. He has held editorial positions in publications ranging in subjects from lifestyle, travel, business, building, healthcare and medical to motoring. Ewe is a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association, Diamond Bar, CA, USA. All articles are original and cannot be reproduced without his written permission.

ARTICLE 3

Lady Gaga rushed by fan, fires back at PETA over furs: Footage released – August 17, 2012 – by : Bryan Bard

Lady Gaga comes to Kim’s defense, tells PETA and the world she thinks she’s fabulous.

Lady Gaga is currently touring Romania, and the fur is flying. Yesterday the “Born this Way” diva issued a pointed response to the commotion over her suspected fur wearing. PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, has lashed out at Gaga for appearing in public sporting what appear to be real animal furs. And amid all of this controversy came an aggressive fan who got an up close view of the business end of Lady Gaga’s body guard.

Celebrity-Gossip.net is reporting that upon arriving at her hotel in Bucharest yesterday and greeting fans, one overzealous photographer attempted to shoot up Gaga’s skirt. This was met with a swift response from her security team who seized the camera. Later as Lady Gaga was exiting, another commotion erupted when what appears to be an overanxious fan rushed the “Bad Romance” singer for an autograph and was met with a quick smack down by a bodyguard. Watch the video here as posted by Eonline to see it as it happened.
Lady Gaga bodyguard slaps down fan

Earlier in the week, PETA attacked Mother Monster and called her a “turncoat” for appearing in public with various furs, and demanded to know whether any were real. Typical of our Gaga, she released a statement defending her right to do and wear what she wants, as reported by The Hollywood Gossip. PETA claims Gaga has said in the past that she hates fur and doesn’t wear it. It’s unclear whether she’s referring to real fur or just fur in general. In either case, the 26 year-old artist is not backing down to pressure from the organization nor some of her angered fans.

Lady Gaga’s statement in part says, “I want you to know that I care deeply about your feelings and views, and I will always support your philosophies about life”. She continues, “I do not however support violent, abusive, and childish campaigns for ANY CAUSE. Particularly one that I respect. ‘Animal Rights’….I respect your views, please respect mine”. In between Gaga laments her other animal kingdom fashion-inspired outfits, never explicitly acknowledging whether any of it is authentic or not.

Gaga does make one particularly interesting direct reference to her infamous awards show meat dress. And it does seem odd to hold someone accountable for sporting an animal pelt when they’ve appeared in public wearing animal flesh. It would be an understatement to say that Gaga sees the artistic value in everything. Have you ever gotten past the outrageous costumes and listened to her songs? “You see a carcass, I see a museum piece de resistance”, she wrote.

Lady Gaga closed out her well thought out diatribe by addressing the recent flour bombing of Kim Kardashian by supposed PETA members. “And to campaigners, Save your flour to make bread for the children who are hungry. And Kim Kardashian is fabulous”, Gaga said.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“I do not however support violent, abusive, and childish campaigns for ANY CAUSE.” said Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotti aka Lady Gaga.

Oh yeah? USA and the freedom of humanity by attempting to remove bad politicians or the TSA, if considered childish (moi prefers childlike in descripts of campaigns, and selfishness especially when one has so much, is most cynically adult) or abusive to campaign for, would only make this 1%ter part of the problem. The only way Evil can win is if Good does not act. So by not acting, guess what Evil any 1% entertainer is allowing to happen . . . by ignoring the starving, those needing policy change, stuck in prisons for non-crimes (that a governor could pardon or influence placement of pro-active judges who could overturn judgments by), needing younger politicians in power, when one has as much (though likely waning after this post) popularity and money as this that is put to no good end, one has already done violence by letting the abuse to the 99%ters occur without helping the 99% even as the 99% had bought tickets and albums etc.. to enable action by 1% plutocrat actors and musos. Is this childish?

Or will 1% plutocrat entertainers continue neglecting the fact that the 99% made them and now are suffering, need this 1% plutocrat to act for them now? Every ticket or album bought comes with a price and the spiritual debt is now upon those who due to the collective resources of so many can act but do not . . . despots like people who concur all the time, by saying this and thinking this way, 1% plutocrat entertainers will be now differentiate those who are followers or potential friends . . . shall the world divest from those who fail to return what was given rather than earned? A record or ticket does not sell itself and is not a one off thing either.

Field an ENTIRE ‘Freedom Party’ who will legalise pot and free all prisoners of pot related charges if TSA seems too much for ‘Gaga’ Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotti, set a precedent for action or set a precedent for plutocratic entertainer divestment . . . THAT would be ‘monster-worthy’. A 3rd Force political coalition instead of the hegelian dialectic. A monster would take on the creeps and retards running the government because monsters also hunger for power . . . prancing around naked with lights and props is NOT so monstrous as making a run for Governorship to implement REAL laws, abolish REAL laws or pardon non-crimes . . . oh and that ‘fan‘ who was ‘bashed’ by the guard . . . unless staged on purpose to create ‘drama’, this looks like an undue force amounting to Aggravated Assault case involving security at least, would ‘fan’ like to consult a lawyer if being hit in that manner was legal? How about something sexier where the fur wearing people get their furry clothes ripped off by fundos among PETA?

A group of former U.S. intelligence and Special Forces operatives is set to launch a media campaign, including TV ads, that scolds President Barack Obama for taking credit for the killing of Osama bin Laden and argues that high-level leaks are endangering American lives.

Leaders of the group, the Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund Inc, say it is nonpartisan and unconnected to any political party or presidential campaign. It is registered as a so-called social welfare group, which means its primary purpose is to further the common good and its political activities should be secondary.

In the past, military exploits have been turned against presidential candidates by outside groups, most famously the Swift Boat ads in 2004 that questioned Democratic nominee John Kerry’s Vietnam War service.

The OPSEC group says it is not political and aims to save American lives. Its first public salvo is a 22-minute film that includes criticism of Obama and his administration. The film, to be released on Wednesday, was seen in advance by Reuters.

“Mr. President, you did not kill Osama bin Laden, America did. The work that the American military has done killed Osama bin Laden. You did not,” Ben Smith, identified as a Navy SEAL, says in the film.

“As a citizen, it is my civic duty to tell the president to stop leaking information to the enemy,” Smith continues. “It will get Americans killed.”

An Obama campaign official said: “No one in this group is in a position to speak with any authority on these issues and on what impact these leaks might have, and it’s clear they’ve resorted to making things up for purely political reasons.”

Obama has highlighted his foreign policy record on the campaign trail, emphasizing how he presided over the killing of bin Laden, as well as how he ended the war in Iraq and set a timeline for winding down the war in Afghanistan.

However, Obama has come under sharp attack from Republican lawmakers who have accused his administration of being behind high-level leaks of classified information.

They have pointed to media reports about clandestine drone attacks, informants planted in al Qaeda affiliates and alleged cyber-warfare against Iran that Republicans say were calculated to promote Obama’s image as a strong leader in an election year.

The White House has denied leaking classified information.

The president of Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund Inc, Scott Taylor, is a former Navy SEAL who in 2010 ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for a congressional seat in Virginia.

Calling itself “OPSEC” for short – which in spy jargon means “operational security” – the anti-leak group incorporated last June in Delaware, a state that has the most secretive corporate registration rules in the U.S.

It also set itself up as a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)4 of the U.S. Tax Code, allowing it to keep donors’ identities secret. Spokesmen for the group declined to discuss its sources of financing.

Several group representatives say their main motivation for setting up OPSEC was dismay at recent detailed media leaks about sensitive operations.

In an interview, Taylor denied OPSEC had any political slant. He described the group as a “watchdog organization” but added that the current administration “has certainly leaked more than others.”

OPSEC spokesmen said the group has about $1 million at its disposal and hopes to raise more after the release of its mini-documentary, entitled “Dishonorable Disclosures,” which aims, in spy-movie style, to document a recent spate of leaks regarding sensitive intelligence and military operations.

Following the film’s release, OPSEC’s spokesmen said, the group expects to produce TV spots on the anti-leak theme that will air in a number of states, including Virginia, Florida, Ohio, Colorado, North Carolina and Nevada – key battleground states.

Fred Rustmann, a former undercover case officer for the CIA who is a spokesman for the group, insisted its focus on leaks was “not a partisan concern.” But he said the current administration had been leaking secrets “to help this guy get re-elected, at the expense of peoples’ lives…. We want to see that they don’t do this again.”

Chad Kolton, a former spokesman for the office of Director of National Intelligence during the George W. Bush administration who now represents OPSEC, also said the group’s message and make-up are nonpolitical.

“You’ll see throughout the film that concern about protecting the lives of intelligence and Special Forces officers takes precedence over partisanship,” he said.

Responding to criticism about the president taking credit for the bin Laden raid, an Obama campaign official pointed to an interview with CNN last month in which Admiral Bill McRaven, commander of the raid, said: “At the end of the day, make no mistake about it, it was the president of the United States that shouldered the burden for this operation, that made the hard decisions, that was instrumental in the planning process, because I pitched every plan to him.”

“I think Admiral McRaven knows more about the President’s role in the bin Laden operation than this group,” the campaign official said.

Thats is why term limits are needed. So that the office cannot be used to protect this sort of credit claiming. Would a black or latino female president or Ameri-Red-Indian male be suitable for USA in the next election? Would give a strong message to the militant Islamists that USA is not all WASP and that the citizens are not all colonial occupiers but victims of the same.

Joe Publics of the above 3 types of President selections with enough resources to at least launch internet campaigns, you ready to run for President? Romney is worth 250 million, Maria Carey is worth 225 million, how about running for Governor at least? Oprah is worth 2.7 billion 10 times that of Romney, Madonna is worth 500 million 2 times that if Romney, how about running for Governor at least if not President divas? Beyonce’s networth as of February 2010 is $461 million & Jay Z’s net worth as of January 2010 is $785million, Snoop Lion’s worth 110 million still enough to at least take a Congressman’s or Mayor’s seat if wealth is to be a yardstick of what one can do. On the wealth distribution, if at very least not unused LAND distribution for the homeless and jobless at least? If Arnold Schwarzeneggar (terminated California policy for 9 years, not so good), could take up politics, why is the latino or black entertainer so shy? USA needs a new governance paradigm or USA is going down . . . Hollywood included . . .

If these people are so proud of ethnicity or gender equality have the media infrastructure, want to prove themselves so much, then run for the above posts and GTFO of Congress after 2 terms! USA’s 99?% need these policies that the mainstream term limitless do not want to implement! All that is needed to evil to triumph is for good to do nothing . . .

The DeKalb County medical examiner says a woman found dead in her home was killed by at least one of her five dogs.

Twenty-three-year-old Rebecca Carey spent her life rescuing animals, taking several into her home to keep them from ending up at animal control.

Carey’s best friend, Jackie Cira, went to Carey’s home when she did not show up for work on Sunday.

“There was a lot of blood,” Cira said. “And when first got there, it looked like she had fallen and hit her head.”

The DeKalb County medical examiner ruled Carey’s death was the result of dog bites.

Animal control took custody of the five dogs in the home – two pit bulls, two presas and a boxer mix.

Any dog that has bitten a person goes into a special isolation lockup at animal control.

Cira said she knows Carey’s dogs, and actually owned one of them, a therapy dog, at one time.

“Any dog she came into contact with, she brought out the best in,” Cira said.

Cira said she wanted the dogs she knew to be gentle to be spared punishment.

“I don’t know who did what, but I can say with certainty who did not,” Cira said.

Animal control’s interim director Tim Medlin told Channel 2’s Jeff Dore that the county can’t risk putting a killer dog with a family, and they have all been put down.

“We didn’t know which dog did which. I can’t be wrong. Not just myself, no one can be wrong in putting out a dog that possibly had to do with these type of injuries. I will not put another person at that kind of risk,” Medlin said.

Carey’s family declined to speak with Dore, but they issued the following statement:

“Rebecca Carey of Decatur was 23 years old and an avid animal lover. Since the second grade when she read the book Throw Away Pets she vowed to be a voice for all animals. She attended Georgia Perimeter College and worked at a veterinary clinic. Upon placing her first abandoned animal in a permanent loving home in 2003, she volunteered countless hours with rescue networks and animal shelters. There she did what she loved the most: rescuing animals from untenable situations to find them safe, loving homes.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Neurotech warning? For we know our pets well and fine excepting neurotech incursions . . . Don’t be afraid plutocrat entertainers, back up those attitudes with real action not entertainment industry slickness. Is Hollywood ‘in’ with the neurotech use? Guess who Carey is warning if this is even possible. Otherwise disregard this post. That would also confirm that some Hollywood types are just false personaes under the spotlight, but even worse than politicians IRL away from the spotlight. Perhaps this is why some of them are so wealthy and dismissive or neglectful of the 99% who buy their records/products etc. and make them so rich. As mentioned before – wealth distribution is needed (20 million limits?) not 1% domination EVEN by entertainer plutocrats. Making life entertaining is no excuse for sequestration of collective wealth of the nation when people starve or are homeless.

Any able to confirm the above deserve to be the intelligence community or watchdogs of the 99% . . . a really cool star would be cool with most of what is posted here, the ‘closet psycho’ NWO types entertainers for certain would pull something like the above. Don’t say I didn’t warn you AmeriCan’ts, not all ‘Stars’ may be as friendly or entertaining as they seem, and might have access to satellite neurotech if not trying to sequester organic energy exchanges naturally available to others, on the esoteric level there seems to be a spiritual war all around . . .

Lets hope some of these plutocrat entertainers actually act or debunk. USA is fighting a war that USA cannot fund, and when there are no monies for police because soldiers are protecting the USA, fully expect even entertainer plutocrats to be considered part of the problem. We only ask for those the 1% entertainer made so wealthy by buying their records or watching their films to give back by taking out the evil term limitless politicians and remembering to GTFO after 2 terms. After gaining the cash from the film goers, Arnold S. JOINED the 1% (just look at the policy written) . . . now will the rest of the 1% entertainers help the 99% who made the plutocrat (1% entertainer/muso funded by the people of the USA, also world) so wealthy?

A woman may be fined $600 for each day she provided free food to children in a poor Philadelphia neighborhood for the past few months.

Angela Prattis, 41, of Chester Township has been distributing free healthy lunches in a neighborhood that has a per capita income of $19,000 a year.

Prattis made no money from the meal distribution, and gave out food provided by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The “lunch lady” ran the charity out of her garage, to which about 60 children came, five days a week.

After the city council was alerted of the free lunches, it ruled that she would have to acquire a variance to give away food next summer – or pay a fine of $600 a day. The council considers Prattis’ deed a zoning violation. Three months of distributing food would instigate a fine of more than $50,000.

“It’s not like I’m selling food,” she objected.

“These kids are hungry. I’m not tearing down the community. I’m keeping the children out of harm’s way,” she said in a Fox News interview.

But a variance to distribute food would also be costly. Administrative fees for a variance would cost up to $1,000.

“You have houses here. The roofs are falling in, and they could be focused on a lot more serious issues than me feeding children,” Prattis said in response to the city council’s ruling.

The woman has three children of her own, takes care of a foster child and runs a neighborhood basketball program .

The township intitally threatened Prattis with fines for this summer’s food distribution, but withdrew them after news organizations began asking questions. Now, the township is allowing the woman to keep distributing food cost-free until August 24 – but next summer will be a lot more costly. Prattis told local news crews that she will continue helping her community.

“Tell me this program isn’t needed,” she said.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Whats the back story behind this? Neurosuppressive drugs distributed by the Church into the food to control children? With enforcement taking the fall to keep the Church looking good?

ARTICLE 7

How America Can Slow Israel’s March to War – by DENNIS B. ROSS – Published: August 17, 2012 Washington

For Op-Ed, follow @nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow @andyrNYT.

OBAMA administration officials have made it clear that they believe there is still time and space for diplomatic efforts to succeed in stopping Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability. But Israel’s deputy foreign minister, Danny Ayalon, has said it is time to declare that “diplomacy has failed.”

While Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has not yet declared the failure of diplomacy, he has spoken about its inability to alter the course of Iran’s nuclear program. In addition, he has told his cabinet that the nuclear threat from Iran dwarfs all the other threats Israel faces and pointedly added, “Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons.”

The words of Israeli leaders are signaling not just increasing impatience with the pace of diplomacy but also Israel’s growing readiness to act militarily on its own against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Although the United States and Israel share the same objective of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability, the two differ on the point at which it may become necessary to act militarily to forestall the Iranian nuclear advance. I say “forestall” because neither America nor Israel can fully destroy the Iranian capability to build a nuclear weapon. Each country could set Iran back militarily, but neither could destroy Iran’s skill or technical and engineering capacity to develop nuclear weapons. Since 2007, when Iran mastered the full nuclear fuel cycle and the means to enrich uranium on its own, it has been too late for that.

Their differences on the possible timing of military action are a function of both capabilities and perspective. The United States has significantly greater military might than Israel and therefore feels that it can wait substantially longer than Israel before resorting to force.

Israel is less patient. As Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said, Iran is rapidly approaching the moment when the depth, breadth and hardening of its multiple nuclear facilities would produce a “zone of immunity” in which an Israeli military strike would lose its effectiveness. Mr. Barak believes that Israel must act before that moment.

But the issue for the United States is not only about military capacity. It is also about having a strategy for the aftermath of any strike on Iran. Because force could not destroy Iran’s nuclear capability, military action must be seen as a means and not an end. And it must be employed in a way that would contribute to the objective of setting back the Iranian nuclear program so that Iran is both less able and less willing to reconstitute it. At a minimum, that would require keeping Iran isolated and under severe economic sanctions after its nuclear facilities had been attacked.

Israel surely recognizes the importance of having a post-strike strategy that could succeed in keeping Iran isolated. But, perhaps because Israeli leaders find it difficult to surrender the military option while still facing what they perceive as an existential threat, they tend to believe that Tehran’s behavior will produce a unified international position against Iran, even after a military strike.

In the words of one senior Israeli official: “The sanctions regime may be hurt for a time, but afterward it will recover, as will the diplomatic pressure on Iran, as will the intelligence battle against Iran. This is because the basic interests of the international community regarding Iran will not change.”

The perspective of the Obama administration is different. From its standpoint, the isolation of Iran did not just happen on its own. It took considerable effort to persuade and mobilize the international community to impose crippling sanctions.

For the United States, this context matters. America thinks in terms of shaping an international environment so that if force becomes necessary it can be justified because diplomacy has been demonstrably exhausted and Iran, by stubbornly refusing to alter its nuclear program, will appear to have essentially brought war on itself. Preserving Iran’s isolation in the event of a military strike will require denying Iran the ability to present itself as the victim.

In other words, before a military strike, it is essential to demonstrate that Iran was not prepared to accept a civil nuclear power capability with the kind of limitations that would prevent it from being able to produce nuclear weapons on short notice.

Israeli leaders wouldn’t dispute the desirability of showing that diplomacy — and the use of crippling sanctions — had failed to change Iran’s behavior. But Israelis clearly fear that their clock will run out on them and that Israel, in the words of that senior official, “will no longer be a player at that point.”

The key questions for policy makers in Washington today are whether there is a way to extend the clock from an Israeli standpoint and whether it is possible to synchronize the American and Israeli clocks so that we really can exhaust diplomacy and sanctions before resorting to force. Four actions by the United States could make this possible.

First, the United States must put an endgame proposal on the table that would allow Iran to have civil nuclear power but with restrictions that would preclude it from having a breakout nuclear capability — the ability to weaponize its nuclear program rapidly at a time of Tehran’s choosing. Making such a proposal would clarify whether a genuine deal was possible and would convey to Israel that the American approach to negotiations was not open-ended.

Second, America should begin discussions with the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany (the so called P5+1) about a “day after” strategy in the event that diplomacy fails and force is used. This would signal to both Israel and Iran that we mean what we say about all options being on the table.

Third, senior American officials should ask Israeli leaders if there are military capabilities we could provide them with — like additional bunker-busting bombs, tankers for refueling aircraft and targeting information — that would extend the clock for them.

And finally, the White House should ask Mr. Netanyahu what sort of support he would need from the United States if he chose to use force — for example, resupply of weapons, munitions, spare parts, military and diplomatic backing, and help in terms of dealing with unexpected contingencies. The United States should be prepared to make firm commitments in all these areas now in return for Israel’s agreement to postpone any attack until next year — a delay that could be used to exhaust diplomatic options and lay the groundwork for military action if diplomacy failed.

Although some may argue that these actions will make a military strike more likely next year, they are almost certainly needed now in order to give Israel’s leaders a reason to wait.

Dennis B. Ross, a former State Department and National Security Council official, was a special assistant to President Obama for the Middle East and South Asia from 2009 to 2011. He is now a counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

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Israel is less patient but only has a M.A.D. capacity without conventional or sufficient troops to control anything more than a large city at most. Without USA in full force, which will at this point indebt USA into insolvency unless fiat is going to be dropped after the war, there is no way Iran can be taken out AND controlled. Look at Iraq and the USA’s failure to ‘control’ the region. Or even supposedly low tech Afghanistan and Pakistan. USA should turn Iraq into a Japan with a permanent troop presence THEN consider Iran, otherwise no go. If Iran is twice as problematic as Iraq having twice as many citizens, even with USA and Israel in permanent occupation, and likely USA facing retaliatory bullying and even attempts at control by Russia (for the loss of the Soviet Union), Israel will either have to conduct a spiritually damning several decades long pogrom of Iranian citizens (that the USA had no capacity nor stomach nor ability to face the world later for) that would galvanise the entire Middle East region into WW3 and endless terror attacks everywhere . . . the MAD scenario solution is not capacity for combat or capacity for victory, and Iran will most certainly have nuclear weapons even as Pakistan does, yet does not destroy India (and Pakistan also) simply because of the fallout. There are many ways to win a war, and hearts and minds wise Iran is still somewhat crushed and hated, but take the war and occupation method, and Israel signs a death warrant. No country can stop a nation with the size and population of Iran from gaining nukes, Israel must conduct other types of warfare.

If Iran uses the direct conventional method even without Nukes, and Israel lacking manpower will be no more. If USA managed to CONTROL Iraq as colony without issue, PERHAPS, but if USA is unable to pull that off, that means conventional is off the table when 25% of Iran’s population does a ‘Zerg-rush’ on Israel. M.A.D. of course is a world irradiating non-solution that is not victory. Israeli citizens opposing are showing wisdom.

Perhaps Israel can cause insurgencies and rebellions but not use M.A.D. or occupations. Perhaps direct an asteroid at Iran from space at most. False flag an alien invasion with extreme conventional tech. Mind control satellites? 75 million nanomites with cyanide injectibles could work but that would be too obvious but would be as impressive though not as dramatic as air craft carriers in 1940s, and spiritually damning as hell. The future of war looks set to be nanoscale at least until nanoscale cleaners are employable. Doubtless the ‘grey goo’ scenario could create another MAD scenario as well. How about for now those who cannot get along just build a very big wall and not trade or communicate? Much easier and less problematic. Any power which needs to use nukes has already admitted defeat, and will also irradiate the world in the process. Real war needs conventional troops and ability to occupy. Israel has neither and USA should consolidate control in Iraq instead of starting a war with Iran which looks several times tougher than Iraq.

Left-wing Israelis protest in Tel Aviv on August 16, 2012, against Israel mounting a military strike on Iran. (AFP Photo/Menahem Kahana)

Tel Aviv’s bellicose stance against Iran’s nuclear program has sparked a pushback in Israeli society against politicians’ ambitions to strike Iran, with many demanding a peaceful resolution to tensions.

­More than 400 Israelis, including prominent academics, have signed an online petition appealing to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) pilots not to obey hypothetical orders to bomb Iran.

The petition was initiated by Vardit Shalfi, a left-wing activist and editor of online magazine The Occupation, who said that there are many public campaigns against a war with Iran, but “none of them appealed to the executive level, the pilots.” The document calls a possible military strike on Iran a “highly mistaken gamble” that would come “at an exorbitant price,” and would not halt Iran’s nuclear program.

“You have the option of saying ‘No,’” the petition addressed to the pilots reads, according to Haaretz. “Certainly, this is not a simple option. It involves profound professional and moral dilemmas, and carries the risk of losing a career which is important to you and also the possibility of being prosecuted. Nevertheless, it is your duty to consider most carefully and seriously the possibility that by saying the little word ‘No,’ you will be rendering an important and vital service to the State of Israel and all who live here. This service would be infinitely more important than blind obedience to this particular order.”

The petition also warns of legal responsibility for the potential consequence of strikes against atomic facilities: “Israel as a country, as well as those carrying out the bombing might be charged with war crimes.”

Law professor Chaim Gans of Tel Aviv University argues that such military action would be illegal, and that “it is clear that the consequences of such a war would be destructive in every possible way.”

Some say that the strike could be legal, but still cause serious blowback. “There is no legal problem with striking Iran,” petitioner and Tel Aviv University law professor Menachem Mautner said, but he warned of the possibility of “very serious and far-reaching consequences” for Israel if it attacks Iran without US backing.

Similar petitions have also been circulated among Israeli society. Physicians for Human Rights-Israel has sent a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak outlining their fears about the consequences of a potential attack: “We will be the ones you will seek out to heal and put together what you have broken. We call on you: Don’t break. First do no harm,” Iranian Press TV reported the letter as saying.
Israel readying for war

Israel seems to be preparing for possible military action. A nationwide missile alert system has been tested this week, and gas mask distribution centers have been created across the country. Contractors have also been hired to fortify hospitals, schools and shelters, the AP reported.

Tel Aviv has engaged in long-running diplomatic appeals to halt or slow Iran’s nuclear program. They insist that Tehran is working to develop nuclear weapons, while the Iranian government claims their program is for civilian purposes.

Tel Aviv has repeatedly warned in the past few months that the window of opportunity for military action is narrowing, claiming that economic sanctions are incapable of stopping Tehran from acquiring the alleged nuclear weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak have implied that an Israeli military attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be launched in the fall, before the US presidential election in November.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main goal in this crisis is delaying Tehran’s nuclear program by a few years, even if Israel cannot entirely halt Iran’s nuclear program, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said in a speech today to the Israeli Parliament that taking action against Iran was “not simple, without risks or unintended consequences … I believe that it is inestimably more complicated, inestimably more dangerous, inestimably more complex, and inestimably more expensive in terms of human life and resources to deal with a nuclear Iran in the future.”

On Sunday, an anonymous senior Israeli politician (believed by the media to be Ehud Barak) said that Israel had already decided to act alone, the National Post reported. “We can’t wait to find out one morning that we relied on the Americans but were fooled because the Americans didn’t act. Israel is strong and Israel is responsible, and will do what it has to do,” the official said.

Tel Aviv has openly stated that it is prepared to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.
A history of pre-emptive action

IDF forces carried out similar missions in 1981 and 2007, when they attacked unfinished nuclear reactors in Iraq and Syria.

Israeli President Shimon Peres challenged the prospect of a unilateral, pre-emptive Israeli strike in a televised address, saying that “Now, it’s clear to us that we can’t do it alone. We can delay. It’s clear to us we have to proceed together with America. There are questions about coordination and timing, but as serious as the danger is, this time at least we are not alone.”

Other prominent Israeli politicians also oppose Israel making unilateral strikes. Recently-resigned Kadima leader Tzipi Livni announced in May that Netanyahu is threatening the existence of the Jewish state with its hawkish stance against Iran.

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also spoke out against the bellicose rhetoric, saying that “There is no reason at this time not to talk about a military effort, but definitely not to initiate an Israeli military strike.”

Washington has warned Israel on numerous occasions against premature action, insisting that time needs to be allowed for diplomacy and sanctions against Tehran to work. On Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said that military action against Tehran should be a “last resort.”

Panetta made some of his strongest comments yet on curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions during a visit to Jerusalem earlier this month: “We will not allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon. Period,” he told reporters.

Only 22 percent of Israelis believe Panetta’s statement, according to an August 8 poll by the Dahaf Institute.

The survey also showed that a majority of Israelis believe that a nuclear Iran would pose a threat to Israel, and most say that Israel needs US assistance to stop Tehran’s nuclear program. Some 61 percent of Israelis believe Iran should not be attacked without consent from the US.

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Israel’s barely 8 million of which for certain only 30% or less (children or elderly, non-combat civilians etc..) which are combat ready cannot take on Iran without the USA. If Iran is willing to suffer the pain, Iran could well overrun Israel before the USA gets there. Then the world will have less one aware bulwark against militant Islamists without Israel. If Iran strikes with nukes, Iran will also suffer radioactive fallout. Same with Israel using nukes. The Middles East loses out either way. Israel really should leave Lebanon alone meanwhile and help USA consolidate Iraq.

That was the response Friday from the Romney team after Obama’s campaign manager tried once again to wrench more tax documents from the Republican president candidate, this time by offering to refrain from criticizing Mitt Romney’s transparency if he agrees to release five more years of returns.

“Thanks for the note. It is clear that President Obama wants nothing more than to talk about Governor Romney’s tax returns instead of the issues that matter to voters, like putting Americans back to work, fixing the economy and reining in spending,” he wrote. “If Governor Romney’s tax returns are the core message of your campaign, there will be ample time for President Obama to discuss them over the next 81 days.”

The Obama campaign offer came after Romney said a day earlier that he’s “never paid less than 13 percent” in taxes over the last 10 years.

Messina, pressing Romney once again for documentation, wrote that he wanted to offer “assurances” to allay Romney’s concerns that releasing additional tax returns would just feed the Democrats’ appetite for more.

“So I am prepared to provide assurances on just that point: if the Governor will release five years of returns, I commit in turn that we will not criticize him for not releasing more — neither in ads nor in other public communications or commentary for the rest of the campaign,” Messina wrote.

Messina, notably, did not offer to refrain from criticizing the contents of whatever documents Romney might furnish.

And that’s the kind of criticism Romney has expressed concern about. Speaking on NBC’s “Rock Center,” wife Ann Romney voiced the same reservations. She said, before Messina’s letter was sent out, that releasing more returns would give Democrats more ammunition, and claimed the campaign would not be releasing more.

Mitt Romney tried to clear the air on Thursday over the issue, offering his most expansive answer yet on the topic while speaking to reporters outside a South Carolina airport.

“I did go back and look at my taxes,” Romney said. “And over the past 10 years, I never paid less than 13 percent. I think the most recent year is 13.6 (percent) or something like that.”

Democrats — most notably Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid — have hounded him for months over the issue. Reid went so far as to claim on the Senate floor, without offering proof beyond an unnamed source, that Romney hadn’t paid taxes for 10 years, and then challenged Romney to prove him wrong.

Romney says the claim is “totally false.” But Reid and the Obama campaign dug in on their position that it’s Romney’s obligation to prove he paid those taxes — rather than their obligation to prove their charges are true.

Messina wrote in his letter that Romney would “only” have to release three more sets of returns — on top of the 2010 and 2011 returns.

“This request for the release of five years, covering the complete returns for 2007-2012, is surely not unreasonable. Other Presidential candidates have released more, including the Governor’s father who provided 12 years of returns,” he wrote, adding that the campaign is looking for answers on “the range in the effective rates paid, the foreign accounts maintained, the foreign investments made, and the types of tax shelters used.”

He closed: “And, I repeat, the Governor and his campaign can expect in return that we will refrain from questioning whether he has released enough or pressing for more.”

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Why so shifty? If Romney has nothing to hide, releasing tax forms should not be an issue. How can the voters trust a president who cannot even declare tax forms taxes or even assets? Probably there will be details on the tax forms that will confirm CORRUPTION.

While some people think to pack their toiletries in their checked baggage before heading to the airport just in case TSA counts toothpaste as a forbidden fluid, others are busy cramming spear guns, cannonballs, grenade launchers, venomous snakes and eels into their carry-ons.

According to a year-to-date report issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), all those things and more have been confiscated so far this year at airport security checkpoints across the country. Some travelers “bring some rather shocking items with them to the airport,” the agency stated in the Aug. 14 report.

[Related: Moscow-bound flight makes unscheduled landing after threat]

While screening more than 375 million people since the start of 2012, TSA agents have found 821 firearms, or an average of four guns per day nationwide. Of the total, 691 guns were loaded. One person attempted to get a gun past security by disassembling it and hiding the pieces in separate stuffed animals, while other travelers tried to hide their pistols in a pot plant and a hollowed-out book. [Are We Safer Today than on 9/11?]

“If the number of firearms we’ve discovered so far this year didn’t shock you, these examples might: a live 40mm high explosive grenade; a bottle wrapped in black electrical tape and filled with flash powder, and three M-80 fireworks; a black powder flask filled with 5oz. of black powder; even an explosively-viable cannonball; and last but not least, a live blasting cap,” TSA wrote.

[Related: Weapons found in two bags at Connecticut airport]

Along with the deadly weapons, agents have also found a lot of other stuff that’s dangerous but also just plain weird. Confiscated items include bear mace in a sock, eels, dead venomous snakes, a grenade launcher and even a gassed-up chainsaw.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Confiscation is as bad as stealing because many items are quite valuable or worth too much to let anyone take them away presumably to profit from. Amend those laws! Don’t they have a weapons locker (which cannot be accessed during flight for obvious reasons) for the weapons, or an accessible pet-cargo area (Eels if for pets . . . ), or a refrigerated storage area (Eels if for food . . . ) for all of the above? Only those who smuggle or try to sneak past could be fined no more than 1% of the value of the item at most. Cannonballs unless by some astral or ethereal or quantum issue that interacts in a negative manner with the equipment, are a non-issue, being harmless even compared to handphones which can have signals that interfere with equipment.

Paul Ryan is taking on the Obama campaign directly over Vice President Biden’s “back in chains” comment, calling them the mark of a “desperate” campaign as President Obama defends his running mate against bipartisan criticism.

In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News Radio, Ryan kept up the new tough tone that Mitt Romney set earlier in the week.

“You know, these are the kinds of things you say when you’re desperate in a campaign,” Ryan said of Biden’s comments. “I think you’re going to hear more of these things as we go on because they have a terrible record and can’t run on it so they’re going to kind of sink this campaign to these low levels to distract people.

“To try and you know, stoke the emotions of fear and envy, and it’s just not going to work. People are going to see through this. We’ve gone from hope and change to anger and division and blame and attack and I think people are going to see through this,” he said.

He also brushed off Sarah Palin’s recent suggestion on Fox News that he drop Biden from the ticket in favor of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Palin, the 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee and a Fox News contributor, had said Biden’s comments are the latest example of how he “really drags down that ticket.”

Obama, in an interview with “Entertainment Tonight,” downplayed Palin’s comments.

“We don’t spend a lot of time worrying about the chatter and the noise and this and that,” he said. “The country isn’t as divided with gaffes or some stray remark as Washington is. Most folks know that’s just sort of a WWF wrestling part of politics. It doesn’t mean anything, just fills up a lot of air time.”

He also said in an interview with People magazine that Biden’s remarks meant consumers would be worse off if Republicans succeeded in doing away with new restraints on financial institutions.

“In no sense was he trying to connote something other than that,” Obama said.

Hundreds of black people were in the audience when Biden added, “They’re going to put y’all back in chains.”

In Iowa for a bus tour, Obama said the reaction to Biden’s remarks was a function of politics, but he did not blame his vice president.

“The truth is that during the course of these campaigns, folks like to get obsessed with how something was phrased even if everybody personally understands that’s not how it was meant,” Obama told People. “That’s sort of the nature of modern campaigns and modern coverage of campaigns. But I tell you, when I’m traveling around Iowa, that’s not what’s on people’s minds.”

A prominent Democrat, though, spoke out against Biden’s comments Wednesday. The nation’s first elected black governor, Doug Wilder of Virginia, claimed the comments brought race into the presidential contest.

Romney alluded to Biden’s comment Tuesday evening in delivering a tough critique of the Obama campaign.

“His campaign and his surrogates have made wild and reckless accusations that disgrace the office of the presidency,” Romney told a crowd of thousands at the final stop on his five-state bus tour. “Another outrageous charge came a few hours ago in Virginia. And the White House sinks a little bit lower. This is what an angry and desperate presidency looks like.”

He continued: “So, Mr. President, take your campaign of division and anger and hate back to Chicago.”

“Particularly strange coming at a time when he’s pouring tens of millions of dollars into negative ads that are demonstrably false,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Romney has ALL the ethos, components of alpha and cool with an enviable circa 1800s (though somewhat fundo tainted) background lineage to boot, BUT Romney should not be in politics because the policy proposed by Romney kills the 99%. A pillar of society does not mean an ability to ensure good policy writing or an ability to be President. If USA is going to war WITH fat funding in the background, this is the heartless privileged guy who lived well and knew success all his life we all want to be (but obviously cannot . . . USA is overpopulated to disallow this sort of privileged type as the norm, maybe if USA was a population of 3 millions then yes . . . ) to vote for. But right now USA is in shambles economically and Romney can’t be voted now as the 99% and middle class would be wiped out resulting in a failed state. Romney is a SUPERIOR COMPONENT of the USA ‘machine’ (much like ROM chips), but cannot the the CPU.

Only someone bridging the disparate groups and not be so enmired in one group like business to be blind to the middle class and 99%, can do the President’s job. The 1% favouring policy proposed by Romney confirms this. Paul Ryan is the ideological weasel form of Dune’s Attreides hero (even looks abit like the guy, though ‘weaslier’) that may be suitable AGAIN to hammer USA’s enemies with INTERNALLY – BUT USA has not cleared up the mess in the Middle East yet. We might say that Romney is a man before his time . . . perhaps 20 years later when USA has a full wallet AGAIN (not just Romney and the 1% having that full wallet but everyone 99% else) could Romney run, the entire background conditions of the day for Romney’s success in this election look entirely wrong. Unless Romney and the 1% above 50 million all pitch in 70% of their wealth to cancel USA’s debt?

As the system runs now the 99% still are playing with fiat, should the ‘remove fiat’ suggestion be implemented or the fact that ‘there is no such thing as money’ reaches the 99%’s understanding, Romney and 1%’s opportunity for action will be closed forever any ‘electronic wealth’ they hold would be rendered useless, this could happen as soon as after this election if in a majority of congressional seats, Joe Public types come forward to stand and be elected by the 99%. Term limitless oligarchs who have gotten wealthy from corporate raiding like Romney and most of the 1% cannot be allowed to dominate US politics, so what will the 1% do? If the fiat system is to survive, ‘something drastic’ needs to be done, and that means plutocrat 1% types including Romney have to share their wealth with the 99% by cancelling USA’s debt . . .

Spirituality is not material wealth and cannot be shared in the same manner, what one accrues via spirit is not the same as material wealth, but that is for another article to cover . . . vote Joe Public or be Joe Public voters only!

An Auckland man who recorded a probation officer talking about supplying a paedophile with a prostitute dressed like a child says he has no doubt the incident actually happened – and likely more than once. Corrections have launched an investigation into the allegations, saying its first step will be to establish whether the recording was legitimate. A Corrections spokeswoman said the department would complete a review of the officer’s caseload to establish if he had worked with sex offenders, and who and what the statements referred to.

It said it was yet to verify if there was a specific sex offender in question. The investigation was likely to take around two weeks. The probation officer has been suspended while the department investigates. On the recording the officer talks about organising a prostitute for another offender as part of a ”safety plan” to control the offender’s risk. The West Auckland resident, who was also being managed by the man, said he recorded the meeting because he did not like some of the probation officer’s comments. He also took either his mother or father along to the meetings as a support person, because he didn’t want to be alone with the officer.

“It was disgusting. He was definitely talking about a specific sex offender, saying ‘I had this plan and this is what we did’.” On the recording the officer talks about the difficulty of managing people on home detention for ”pretty sick crimes” who ”still have a need for, for instance, child sex”. Referring to one case he says: ”I’m not able to supply them with child sex but we’ve worked out a plan where, hey, we’ll go out to get a prostitute who comes to the house and she dresses up as a child.”

The officer says it hasn’t stopped the offender’s urges but stopped him having to ”grab someone off the street”.

He then says: “It’s difficult talking about a chap who sits there in the lounge [and] gets sexually excited when the girls walk past going to school.

”That’s what we’ve had to do, and because of that help they’re kinda safe.”

The officer goes on to say the safety plan allows the child sex offender to integrate into the community.

”Instead of snatching someone or lurking in the bushes or progressing into something that could possibly put him into trouble he knows, he rings, happy fun times and she comes over, dresses up, does her bit and the pressure’s gone. He’s OK.”

There are 39 offenders in West Auckland who are managed by community probation services for sexual offences.

Corrections Department acting regional manager Alastair Riach earlier said the department did not provide or pay for the provision of prostitutes to any offenders.

”We aim to keep the public safe by working with offenders to change their behaviour associated with their risk of reoffending, and to develop a lifestyle that helps them to maintain these changes.”

Follow @AucklandNowNZ

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Exactly as envisioned. This is how society should deal with such proclivities. Put enough people in the right context and same place, and this becomes a rather dull subculture for those not interested. Civilisation means being able to do this. Being fundo means honor killings on either side, bloody tribal feuds or for Capitalists, psychiatric establishment drug sales or asylums (in the worst places of the fundo world also ‘Religious Correction Centres’), higly profiteering jail terms and jail contractors for so called crimes like smoking pot or being LGBT. Seems like the world needs to look at New Zealand for pointers on how to do this.

Very sex positive and instead of criminals, we get another facet of adult industry with taxpaying consumers. In the Universe of course, stranger things have happened than a supposed pimp dressing up a consensual and aware woman willling to ensure paedophiles keep their preferences in proper context. So who needs to chemically castrate or imprison or even persecute . . . so first, set up the socio-psychological infrastructure in the form of fetish clubs catering to whatever in adult districts. That as we all know is impossible for FUNDO societies and also Uncontrolled/Unlimited Capitalist societies . . . http://civilliberty.about.com/od/gendersexuality/tp/History-of-Prostitution.htm

ARTICLE 13

Pussy Riot to grace Playboy? – Published: 15 August, 2012, 13:50

Pussy Riot’s Nadezhda Tolokonnikovas (RIA Novosti / Andrey Stenin)

Ukraine’s edition of Playboy is considering having one of the arrested Pussy Riot punk band members star on the magazine’s cover.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, the youngest of the three girls awaiting a verdict in the Pussy Riot trial may appear on the cover, if the Moscow court sets the girls free.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alehina, 24, and Ekaterina Samutsevich, 29, are charged with hooliganism after the band rushed into Russia’s main church and performed what is described as a “punk prayer” calling on Mother Mary to drive Putin away. The prosecutors want the girls jailed for three years. The verdict will be delivered on Friday August 17.

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Vlad Ivanenko told Izvestia daily that Playboy had already contacted Tolokonnikova’s representatives with the offer to arrange a photo shoot. Talks are currently suspended awaiting the court decision.

“Our magazine readers are active social networks users, where Pussy Riot girls have become the main trend over the past months,” Ivanenko said. “We see Nadezhda Tolokonnikova as an art-activist and believe that our readers will be enthused with her appearance on the cover,” he said adding that his deputy “dreams of marrying Nadezhda.”

Tolokonnikova is not new to getting undressed for public. In 2008 she and her husband Pyotr Verzilov were involved in an event including group sex filmed in Moscow’s Museum of Biology. Tolokonnikova was 18 and nine months pregnant. The footage was later posted on the Internet.

Pussy Riot has gained massive global support. Friday will see rallies for the feminist punk band members in at least two dozen cities around the world. Simultaneous demos will be held an hour before a Russian court gives its decision.

Many celebrities, such as Bjork, Madonna, The Red Hot Chilly Peppers, Terry Gilliam, Yoko Ono, and members of The Who and The Pet Shop Boys have spoken out for the girls.

The three girls on trial have already spent over five months in prison.

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Only porn could defuse b.s. like this. Without porn, where would civilisation be?

1.4 million part-time workers say they are doing it because they simply can’t get full-time work
Some can’t afford to retire so work a few days a week
Overall unemployment is down 46,000 to 2.56 million in the last three months
Many more jobs in London because of Olympics, so unemployment could rise again after summer

Record numbers of Britons are working part-time after those struggling to find full-time positions pushed the figure above the eight-million mark for the first time.

Official figures show that 8.07 million people toil for fewer than 25 hours a week – the highest figure since records began in 1992.

One in seven of them would like to work longer but can’t find the job, while others only remain in part-time employment because they can’t afford to retire.

The grim figures came amid warnings that the so-called ‘Olympic effect’ – which has helped overall unemployment fall in recent months – will end after the summer.

Union bosses said the booming numbers of part-time workers only reflected soaring levels ‘despair and waste of human talent’ and they called for George Osborne to be axed as Chancellor.

Boost: Many people are taking part time jobs in supermarkets, shops and offices because they cannot get full time work

However, the Government has trumpetted the fact that overall unemployment has fallen to its lowest level for a year after a big jump in the number of people in work.

The jobless total fell by 46,000 in the quarter to June to 2.56 million, an unemployment rate of 8 per cent, according to the office for national statistics.

The number of people claiming jobseeker’s allowance last month was 1.59 million, down by 5,900 on June.

Most of the quarterly fall in unemployment was recorded in London, suggesting a big jobs boost from the Olympic Games that could go the other way after the summer ends.

Bosses hire hard-working foreigners because British youth are ‘lazy’, employers’ group warns

Experts are questioning how much the unemployment figures can ‘defy gravity’ at a time when the economy as a whole is contracting.

‘While this is undoubtedly good news, the latest labour markets statistics do raise questions about why they seem so out of kilter with other recent economic data.

‘It is therefore not clear whether these data herald better economic news to come and whether the Olympics can offer a lasting economic legacy.’
London jobs boost: Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level for a year, an improvement thought to be down to the Olympics

London jobs boost: Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level for a year, an improvement thought to be down to the Olympics

The number of people in work increased by 201,000 to almost 30 million, the highest since last summer, with half of the rise coming in London.

Average earnings increased by 1.6 per cent in the year to June, up by 0.1 per cent on the previous month.

Youth unemployment – for those between 16 and 25 – remains at just over one million despite figures showing a drop of 4,000.

Union leaders warned that Britain faces an unemployment rise once the Olympic effect has worn off and urged the Government to reverse its cuts plans.

Paul Kenny, leader of the GMB union, said: ‘These figures show the level of despair and waste of human talent in an economy going through this double-dip recession five years on from the credit crunch of 2007.

‘David Cameron and Nick Clegg should now conclude that George Osborne is simply not up to the job of steering our economy and he should be moved to make way for a change of direction as he has proved beyond doubt that it is not possible to deflate your way to growth.’

Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said: ‘This small fall is welcome, but there will be no lasting Olympics legacy in the jobs market.

‘The end of thousands of temporary jobs will see unemployment climbing after the summer.

‘Students waiting for A-level results this week face a bleak jobs future. They are set to join the dole queues in high numbers as the hike in tuition fees has priced many thousands of young people out of their dream of going to university or into further education.

‘The Tories need to inspire a generation by rebuilding our economy and safeguarding the future.
Jobless rate: Two year figures reveal a recent drop to 8 per cent unemployment

‘This must include targeted help for young people, as a part of a wider programme of Government-led job creation. The continued austerity agenda is condemning our economy to the slow lane.’

But Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith suggested that the overall trend in the jobless figures was positive and insisted that the Coalition’s policies were helping to deliver future growth.

He said: ‘These are positive and encouraging figures demonstrating the strength of our private sector – notwithstanding the difficult economic times it is still creating jobs, the vast majority of which are full time. Unemployment is falling and the claimant count is down.’

Unemployment has fallen for five consecutive quarters, while the so-called claimant count was down for the first time since April.

But there was an increase of 1,600 in the number of women claiming jobseeker’s allowance to 530,000, compared with a 7,500 fall among men, to just over a million.

The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those looking after a sick relative, on early retirement, or who have given up looking for work, fell by 117,000 to 9.1 million, just over 22 per cent of the working age population.
Jobs trends: Unemployment and the claimant count over the past two years

Jobs trends: Unemployment and the claimant count over the past two years to the end of June

Around 150,000 people were made redundant in the three months to June, down by 21,000 from the quarter to March and 4,000 lower than a year ago.

There were 472,000 vacancies across the country in the quarter to July, up by 10,000 on the three months to April, and 16,000 more than a year ago.

But not everyone criticised the Government.

Howard Archer, chief economist at IHS Global Insight, said: ‘The labour market continues to defy gravity and is performing remarkably well given the extended weakness of the economy.

‘It is very hard to reconcile employment growth of 201,000 in the three months to June, with GDP contraction of 0.7% quarter on quarter in the second quarter, especially as this was a third successive quarter of decline.

‘The implication is that either the economy is doing appreciably better than the national accounts data show, the labour market is doing significantly worse than the hard data show, or productivity has genuinely weakened sharply. The jury is currently very much out as to what the actual answer is but it could very well be a combination of all three.’

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In objective reality rather than socialised insanity’s outgrowth from civilisation, there were NEVER any such things as jobs or educational institutions, only apprentices and the craftsman manufacturers that weren’t going to take advantage of the 99% blue collars while the white collar management types got peanuts and the board of director CEO types took everything. After the War of Independence, some of the Tories pretended to be Americans who loved democracy so they wouldn’t get lynched for being redcoats. If the hidden Tories still in USA were so democratic they should have by now distributed the land and wealth ESPECIALLY the oil or gold or mineral wealth there and then – as the property of ALL the people, not just for those who happened to be settled there or with land rights, with the Native Ameri-red Indians holding the most rights . . . NOT continue the fiat and feudal tax system which has ballooned to an extreme form this day.

If the 99% knows whats good for them, they will vote only on the above premise and on a pre-vote statuary declaration by the proposed candidate to immediately ratify that bill to implement Socialism with Capitalist Limits immediately once in office AND only the Joe Public types or those millionaires not above 20 million are more likely to accede to the above pre-vote requirement – welcome to the War of Independence 2, this time to OVERHAUL the constitution and wealth distribution paradigm. Within this blog is described exactly what must be done, I haven’t collated the text yet, but distribution of wealth and land is the very first thing to be done. The 1% won’t like what they see but the 99% who are dying of poverty out there will definitely want to vote for that redistribution of land or money and must vote only for non-GLC Joe Public types only.

Being civilised though, USA should allow the 1% types to take out the fiat the 1% think they are entitled to (printing presses go into ooverdrive) THEN switch to PMs and imposed Wealth sequestration limits of 20 million. Those who do not have jobs should work their land, if they innovate, they get rich by patents but limited to 20 million in assets so that the rest goes to others to catch up in quality of life, the ‘trickle down’ effect is a myth, there is none, quality of life for the 99% has never been worse while the 1% never had better.

We will still see innovation AND better distribution of wealth, we don’t need homeless or beggars, nor do we need millions and billions worth plutocrats AND USA will truly belong to everyone (everyone gets a few acres of land USA has 2 billion acres of land – thats 6 acres each (actually every slave was given 40 acres when slavery ended), enough to grow and live off very comfortably unless having many wives or many children by a single wife – this automatically warns against overpopulation, at the same time there will never be a jobs problem again, the food/medicine from the ground/produce if they work the land is FREE (no more food stamps), there will be no homeless (everyone has land to build on, if they work hard they will be able to build palaces), finally MIGRANTS can be invited in to WORK FOR AMERICANS who have land, thereby creating options for EVERYONE as well as bringing in a useful menial class who can be fed and housed to work on manufacturing with materials from the land, and be sent home with some manufactured goods which obviously needs USA to innovate, as any country which adopts the above system will not need to send their people overseas with USA the most likely country able to implement EQUALITY in wealth, land and political power distribution.

The governments that are exploitative intentionally and slow on the implmentation of the above will likely be the countries USA or countries using the above system will get their menial workers from. This also says that free legalized migrants AND overpopulation AND lack of natural resources OR over-militarisation or expenditure on military adventurism will be the killers of any nation. There is no jobs shortage or homelessness or hunger if land and wealth is re-distributed. Try the below redistribution :

All unused land is distributed to all homeless or ‘poor’ then recalculating wealth as follows :

1 billion will be allowed to keep 20 million in PMs, 1 vehicle per family member (carbon footprint reduction is important so few vehicles is better)
100 million will be allowed to keep 2 million in PMs, 2 vehicles per family (carbon footprint reduction is important so few vehicles is better)
10 million will be allowed to keep 200 thousand in PMs, 1 vehicle per family (carbon footprint reduction is important so few vehicles is better)
1 million will be allowed to keep 20 thousand in PMs, 1 vehicle per family (carbon footprint reduction is important so few vehicles is better, who knows those who have caused the least pollution probably have the greatest say . . . )

This may seem extreme but because everyone will be producing food and goods (think 3D printers and DEFLATION due to less zeros held by the richest) will be produced by migrant labour, prices probably will return to 1800 era levels. (i.e. a horse cost $30 silver dollars, today 2010 $2000 therabouts or 60 times. So considering that, all above sums would be 60 times more in liquid asset, with $600K Rolls Royces or Sports Cars costing $10,000, a Fast Food Meal costing 0.99 should be worth 2 cents (0.016 exactly, maybe 3 meals for 0.02 cents – but who needs to pay for food when food is free), an Android phone would cost USD$3.33 . . . so voters please vote properly for a 2 TERM ONLY, Governor or Congressman or President who will do the above and put an end to this useless back and forth . . . as for manufactured goods for locals, ALL workers of any particular manufacturer are entitled to requisition a single unit of that item the factory produces, payment will be CENTS only, so people will work to obtain goods direct or to be exchanged via barter. This is calculated by man hours of work – doubtless a high tech handphone/computer should be worth more man hours than a t-shirt but if wifey at home can knit you a shirt, only the difficult to build items will be worked for (definitely not food or even energy with solar), with MANY people opting out and choosing quality of life instead of being insulted by being on the work line.

Although if the only way to get a tech gadget is by working on the assembly line, for certain the whole idea of work would be that much more meaningful though productivity may not be faster due to retraining etc.. If entirely automated then perhaps a single person could train the next to use the production line machines which does not require much training in reality except for when repairs are needed etc.. Education is not about money but interest in subjects. Jobs are a myth when wealth and land distribution is present.

Remuneration structures linked to short-term performance have created incentives for dishonesty and must be changed

There has been a lot of focus recently on a long and growing list of scandals involving some of the biggest global banks. Barclays has been in the spotlight for manipulating the London inter-bank offered rate and has been fined $460 million by regulators in the United States and United Kingdom.

But Barclays is not alone, the list of other banks involved includes some of the best-known global banks, from Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, and Deutsche Bank to HSBC, RBS and UBS.

In addition, JPMorgan Chase announced a fresh assessment of losses in the trading positions of its London-based unit, which have now been revised upward to $5.8 billion. Meanwhile, HSBC faces the threat of being fined up to $1 billion by the US authorities for allegations of laundering money and financing terrorists, and Standard Chartered has been accused by the US financial watchdog of violating anti-money laundering rules.

It is not surprising that the banking sector, already under attack in the midst of the global financial crisis, has been hit by a new wave of criticism. But most worryingly, trust and confidence in the financial system have reached a record low.

Although there are many reasons why the banking sector collectively has perpetrated so many misdeeds and broken ethical norms, greed is one of the root causes. Therefore, to fix the banking sector requires reshaping its corporate culture.

The values of an organization are shaped by its corporate culture. Of course, any business aimed at maximizing shareholders’ values must strive to make a profit, but the profit-making activities must be legal and morally acceptable. Experience shows that misbehavior in the banking sector often stems from the belief that only bonuses can reward people. Remuneration structures, often linked to short-term performance, have created incentives for dishonesty.

But as Greg Smith, who resigned as a Goldman Sachs executive director and head of the company’s US equity derivatives business, wrote in an article, “Why I am leaving Goldman Sachs”: “people who care only about making money will not sustain this firm – or the trust of its clients – for very much longer”.

Leadership plays an important role in shaping the culture of a bank. Clearly, the “tone at the top” is a key factor influencing how a bank operates. Moreover, qualified leaders motivate subordinates to work for the good of a bank, not just for themselves. In particular, executives of a bank should have a special responsibility to create an environment where people cannot do bad things. As Bob Diamond, Barclays’ former chief executive, once declared, “the evidence of culture is how people behave when no one is watching”.

Financial regulatory reforms will help banks change their culture. Imposing higher standards of capital adequacy and liquidity management can lower leverage ratios and increase loss-absorbing capabilities, thus reducing the appetite for taking risks and limiting profits in the banking system.

The scandals of the past months may have been a watershed in policymakers’ attitudes toward regulating banking services in many countries. From the Volcker Rule in the US, which prohibits proprietary trading business in banks, to the Vickers Recommendations in the UK, which separate banks’ retail business from their investment business, restrictive measures could force banks to be more transparent and change the incentives driving their behavior. It is important that banks stick to their core mission of supporting the real economy.

Regulators in Western countries should learn from their mistakes. The Financial Service Authority in the United Kingdom has reportedly tracked the price-rigging back to 2005. In April 2008, a Barclay’s employee told an analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York that the UK bank was deliberately manipulating LIBOR, which was then briefed to the Bank of England and the British Bankers’ Association. But the regulators did not respond quickly and thus missed the opportunity to reform the system.

The effects of these scandals will stretch far beyond developed countries. Chinese banks and regulators must seriously consider how to further promote a healthy corporate culture and enhance the sector’s internal control mechanisms.

Usually, financial crises occur when what was thought to be low risk turns out to be very high risk. For this reason, the banking sector requires special regulation, because its failures have very big economic, political and social fallouts. In this respect, the nation’s top bankers must be accountable and of high integrity, no matter how intensified the competition becomes.

It is understandable that the recent scandals have enraged the public. Nevertheless, it is useless to direct perpetual “blame and shame” at the banks. Instead, the focus should be on how to inspire and encourage banks to fulfill their responsibilities and redefine their culture.

The banking business involves risks and its corporate culture cannot be managed by outside regulation alone. It must be cultivated internally step by step.

Social Security Administration says their request for hollow point bullets is for their staff’s safety

The US Social Security Administration wants Americans to know that they are concerned with the safety of their workers. That is why, they now say, they’ve ordered 174,000 rounds of lethal hollow-point bullets.

Responding to reports centered on the SSA’s recent request for tens of thousands of rounds of high-power, heavy duty ammunition, the agency tasked with assisting the elderly and disabled with federally funded benefit packages has attempted to explain their invitation for ammo makers to make them a deal.

“Our special agents need to be armed and trained appropriately,” a blog post from the SSA office explains. “They not only investigate allegations of Social Security fraud, but they also are called to respond to threats against Social Security offices, employees and customers.

Days after the SSA published a solicitation online for a lot of .357 Duty Carry Sig 125 grain bonded JHP hollow point bullets, the agency says there is nothing especially unusual about their request.

“[O]ur office has criminal investigators, or special agents, who are responsible for investigating violations of the laws that govern SSA’s programs,” the agency explains in the post, published on Thursday. “Currently, about 295 special agents and supervisory special agents work in 66 offices across the United States.These investigators have full law enforcement authority, including executing search warrants and making arrests.”

Responding to the large request of 174,00 rounds, an administrator on the SSA blog writes, “this is a routine procurement that we typically make every fiscal year.”

“We have about 295 criminal investigators who must qualify with a firearm four times per year.If each investigator uses 150 rounds per qualification, then we would need 177,000 rounds per year.This number can vary based on the total number of agents, and any type of specialized training we might undertake. “

In a November 2004 bulletin circulated out of the United States Attorneys’ Office, the government states, “even the slightest error or fraud in the overall process can result in millions of dollars in overpayments or underpayments of Social Security benefits.”

The SSA, contained in a network of over 1,400 offices, is tasked with aiding the elderly, retired, disabled and others, and says on their website, “For the public, we are the ‘face of the government.’”

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How about NON-LETHAL tranquiliser darts? The state bureaus and state offices are civilian spaces, not slaughter houses. Any offending person should at least be guaranteed their life, passed out for a few hours at most, rather than being killed. Bad choice of weapon! Besides, the dead cannot be interrogated, whats the point of killing potential witnesses or leads into groups that send this sort of person? Civilisation demands at least this much! The American people for certain should concur!

ARTICLE 17

Hebrew Bible: Plagiarized Mythology and Defaced Monotheism

Posted on 21. Aug, 2012 by Dr Ashraf Ezzat in World News
Many are the stories that were told in the Hebrew Bible, but the greatest story that is yet to be told is the story of the Hebrew Bible itself.
Dr. Ashraf Ezzat

The relationship with gods/god has always been one of man’s oldest preoccupations, and still is till this very day. And while it’s fair to assume that Modern day man owes his advancement in philosophy and science to ancient Greece and its earliest thinkers, it’s equally fair, when it comes to the development of religion and the evolution of religious thinking, to give credence to the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

In fact, the earliest vestiges of human faith in God, as we know it today, are to be traced back to the valley of the river Nile and between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris. We’re surely to find the root of our belief in a supreme creator inscribed, in hieroglyphs and cuneiform, on the pyramids and papyri of ancient Egypt and on the clay tablets of Sumer … And not within the confines of the Hebrew Bible, as many still believe.

And if we still cherish the Greek school of wisdom and science and continue to build on the teachings of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and Pythagoras, I wonder why we stopped honoring the ancient gods of Egypt and Sumer and Babylon.

What has become of the mighty gods of the ancient Near East? What happened to Anu and Enlil, what has become of the beautiful Goddess “Inanna” Ishtar … The one god, Aten, and what happened to the omnipotent Amun/Amen of Thebes? … Amen, whose name is still echoing in every house of prayers of all organized religions on earth?

How come we fail to recall any of the magnificent epics of Sumer (watch video of the epic of Gilgamesh) or the amazing mythology of Egypt (watch video of the Egyptian creation myth) whereas our kids know the stories of the Hebrew Bible by heart?

But then again, if our kids are to be introduced to the myths of ancient Egypt and the epics of Sumer (watch video of the Sumerian creation myth) they won’t feel like they are in a strange land. The stories of Sumer and Egypt will sound so familiar.

“A lot of the stories in the Old Testament are in fact plagiarized material, particularly from the rich mythical heritage of the Sumerians – the inventors of writing. The story of Noah and the flood story, the creation of man out of clay, Cain and Abel, the gardens of Eden, the tree of knowledge, creation of Eve from Adams rib, and numerous other myths, like the throwing of Moses after he was born in the river, are all but stories found recorded on Sumerian clay tablets dating 5000 years back in time.”

… This has long been common knowledge amongst the scholars of history, archeology and anthropology, but I find it extremely necessary today, in the so called information age, to drag it out of the academia realm and expose it in the open before the public eyes.

Why do we remember and celebrate legendary figures like David and Solomon who had no bearing on the human history course, while we hardly recognize the enormous impact historical figures like Akhenaten or Hammurabi had on how we today come to define monotheism and the rule of law. (Watch video of Hammurabi’s code of laws, some of which are echoed in Moses’s commandments)

But then, what do we, men of modern times, know or even care? … We were only told that in the beginning was the word. But according to history … it wasn’t.

In the beginning, was the river – the Nile in Egypt and Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia. The river and the profound connection with nature gave the Egyptians and the Sumerians not only the stability and prosperity but also the craving to contemplate the creation of our cosmos and how life on earth came to be.

In other words, the river made the Egyptians and the Sumerians religious, and in a philosophical way. But does that mean that non-agricultural communities were not religious?

To answer that question, we first have to differentiate between religion and rituals. Most primitive communities, e.g., nomadic tribes like the Hebrews, had their local deities, as gods of war and fertility. On the other hand, a religion in ancient Egypt was not a religion of comfort or beneficence. It was an all-embracing doctrine, like a harmony that was observed by all the players in a big philharmonic orchestra. It was a way of life.

These Egyptian and Mesopotamian religions were Mythopoeic. Whereas our world view may be scientific or rational, so we tend to believe, these river civilizations adopted a world view based on myth.

The biggest copyright infringement in history

The stark resemblance between Biblical and Sumerian creation stories poses some serious questions

Now that we know that religion, with colossal temples and ziggurats and creation myths, first sprouted along the fertile banks of the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia and the river Nile in Egypt, how could we explain the dominance of Judaism, some tribal cult which supposedly originated (centuries later in time) amid the arid terrains of Canaan, over the Egyptian and Sumerian once thriving theologies?

Actually Judaism didn’t, surpass the influence of the Egyptian nor the Sumerian theology; this was a formidably hard task for any nomadic community to aspire for, instead Judaism did it the easy way.

As the antiquity era was approaching an end, and as the hieroglyphic and the cuneiform writings were getting extinct, the Hebrews simply stole the Egyptian and the Sumerian thunder. The Hebrew scribes, whom I presume knew what they were doing, copycatted the famous myths/epics of ancient Egypt and Sumer, in what could be the world’s first and yet the biggest copyright infringement, and stuffed their Bible with them.

The Hebrews as nomadic tribes, and later as tradesmen, were always on the move all over the Fertile Crescent that was bounded to the west by Egypt and to the east by Sumer and Babylon (Mesopotamia). Their constant journeys gave them access to the famous epics and stories/myths of the ancient Near East.

When The Hebrew scribes began to write down parts of their old testament/chronicles, which they never imagined, nor planned to be a holy Bible, it was not an overnight job, rather it was a lengthy and interrupted process that may have started around the time of the Assyrian invasion (722 BCE) of the Levant, during which all of Canaan was virtually an Egyptian province, and culminated around the time of the Hellenistic period (332-63 BCE)

Ancient Near East

While geography was the reason behind the development of the brilliant civilizations of both the Egyptians and the Sumerians, it was on the other side, and ironically enough, the main cause for the Hebrews’ misfortune.

Delivered to the savagery of the clans and Squeezed in a land barren and hostile between the ancient superpowers without any chance of military resistance or evolving further beyond the nomadic/unsettled structure, the Jews turned to metaphysics and began to fantasize.

In an atmosphere of despair and rage, especially after the Romans ruthlessly crushed what was seen as the last Hebrew disobedience (66-70 CE) the Jewish religious megalomaniac Messianic fantasies prospered.

The powerlessness of the Jews found an outlet in the myths and invented a glorious national history- something similar to what modern day Zionism did – avenging long years of ostracism and cruelty and dragging their enemy’s names through the dirt.

In the Bible, the Hebrew scribes unleashed the dagger of malevolence and took a stab at the superpowers of the ancient world, namely Egypt, Sumer and Babylon.

Through a prism of total prejudice and deeply seated grudge the Hebrew scribes wrote, page up and page down, not what really happened in ancient times, but rather what they wished had happened.

So, in their scrolls, the Hebrew scribes depicted Babel (Babylon) as the (hot bed of vice) with its tower in ruin, where in reality it stood 90 meters high, and Egypt as the land of slavery and tyranny, devastated by Yahweh’s gruesome punishments in the aftermath of which Egypt’s Pharaoh and his army drowned, where in fact, Egypt stood, for uninterrupted 3000 years, as one of the ancient world’s superpowers.

At that time, something quite weird, that only analytical psychology could explain, started taking place in the Hebrew Bible.

Everything the Israelites desperately longed for, namely a mythology with fascinating stories like that of the Sumerians, a religion with big temples like that of the Egyptians … and yes, a piece of land they could call home like everybody else, the Hebrew scribes made damn sure it was granted to them on the pages of their bible.

And in the process of making up a virtual/counterfactual history for the Israelites, the bible scribes had to simply rewrite the ancient Near Eastern history in a way that would make room for their tribal patriarchs to fit into the story.

Replacing Ziusudra with Noah, Enki with Adam, Sargon of Akkad with Moses and Aten with Yahweh, the Hebrew scribes gave the world one of its most inconsistent and confusing books ever. In a cunning way, the Hebrew scribes, as they wrote down the scripture of their Bible, had plagiarized the ancient Near Eastern wisdom and claimed it theirs.

Copying the ancient and profound Egyptian/Mesopotamian mythology by a bunch of mysterious Hebrew scribes was, from my perspective, the beginning of deterioration of the human religious thinking.
Defaced Monotheism

Unlike the Greek mythology, the ancient Near Eastern mythology was denied, by the demise of the ancient languages and the Hebrew alteration/defacement of its stories the golden opportunity of producing/fostering a European-like renaissance.

The Hebrews, appropriating what otherwise could have stayed as one of the world’s finest myths and theology, have turned it into a completely different thing.

They have molded it into a tribal thing; the universal nature of the Egyptian gods, e.g., Amun, Aten, had been twisted and refashioned to function only as the Hebrews’ own exclusive god, and hence the Hebrews as his own chosen people. And in a way this dominating concept of favoritism/nepotism has, and for the first time in the history of mankind, introduced/nurtured the idea of religious extremism.

Usurping the profound mythology of the ancient Near East by the Israelites, was like snatching the original score of Franz Schubert’s last and unfinished symphony and handing it over to some tribal drum player to finish the job. Need we ponder over the product of such undertaking? … Nothing short of a total catastrophe.

Some will argue that the echoing of the Sumerian and Egyptian myths and beliefs in the Hebrew Bible is but another example of interaction amongst the different cultures of the ancient Fertile Crescent.

“The literature created by the Sumerians left its deep impress on the Hebrews. To be sure, the Sumerians could not have influenced the Hebrews directly, for they had ceased to exist long before the Hebrew people came into existence. But there is little doubt that the Sumerians had deeply influenced the Canaanites, who preceeded the Hebrews in the land that later came to be known as Palestine” pp.143-4, “History Begins at Sumer” Samuel Noah Kramer.

Well, of course the Hebrews/Israelites were influenced by the Mesopotamian literature and the Egyptian Theology, especially that their nomadic origins denied them the luxury of frequenting the colossal temples and serving the mighty gods as those of Egypt and Babylon. But frankly, the Hebrew case was more than just another cultural interaction; it was an act of trespassing.

And even if by time, the Sumerian and Egyptian myths had probably turned into anecdotal tales of the distant past, how could we explain the reason/motive why the names of the main characters were extracted out and replaced by Hebrew counterfeits. … Evenmore, with all the previous presumptions overlooked, how could we forgive the Hebrews’ wickedness of ascribing all this wisdom to their tribal god?

As their scribes were tampering with the history and the mythology of the ancient Near East, and through their ignorance/deceit the Israelites messed up not only with the great stories of Egypt and Sumer but they also damaged the concept of universalism and pluralism that for years underlined the religious thinking of the ancient Near East.

As the Hebrew scribes were tramping over the history of the ancient Near East they rewrote/invented a mythical table of nations (sons of Noah) that, at the end, and through a long cycle of selective favoritism, came down and as expected to favoring the sons of Shem (founding myth of modern day Semitism)

And hence, the world through the tribal lens of the Israelites was only conceivable as Jews vs. Gentiles, This lingering duality complex that denied the Jews, till this very day, the ability to assimilate anywhere outside the psychological orbit of the tribe.

“Jew and Gentile are two worlds, between you Gentiles and us Jews there lies an unbridgeable gulf…There are two life forces in the world: Jewish and Gentile…I do not believe that this primal difference between Gentile and Jew is reconcilable…” – You Gentiles, page 9, by Maurice Samuel

Contrary to what many may believe the Hebrew bible did not come up with the idea of monotheism, the Egyptian king Akhenaten did that and centuries before Judaism, and as a matter of fact YHWH, the Israelites’ one god had a consort by the name ‘Asherah’

On the other hand, the Sumerian and Egyptian pantheon of gods were pyramidal/hierarchal in a way that was always leading to the concept of one and supreme god presiding over the pantheon atop the pyramid – aka Henotheism.

Sigmund Freud

In his famous book, Moses and monotheism, Sigmund Freud concluded that monotheism was not a Jewish but an Egyptian invention, descending from the cult of the Egyptian sun god Aten. Moreover, upon applying his psychoanalysis to the myths/stories of the Hebrew bible, Freud not only argued that Moses was an Egyptian priest but he was also perplexed by how the whole story of Moses/Exodus, according to the oedipal pattern of analysis, was inverted and didn’t make sense the way it had been told. In other words the Hebrew myths/stories didn’t seem original.

Had he lived longer, delved deeper into the mythology of the ancient Near East, Freud would have reached the same startling conclusion about the origin of the Hebrew bible stories, as he did monotheism.

What Judaism actually added to the world’s religious thinking is something totally different and, at the same time, inherently harmful. Through their tribal and somehow shallow collective mentality, the Hebrews had planted the root of religious dogmatism and fanaticism when they allowed for the absurd idea of God’s chosen people to flourish and permeate the religious thinking from then on.

Unfortunately that religious extremism passed on to Christianity, which was supposed to act as a counterbalance to Judaism’s tribal vulgarity, until it reached its worst case in Islam.

What good is this kind of monotheism when its adherents, be it Jews, Christians or Muslims, are soaked to the arm pits in their fundamental belief/illusion that their god is the only true god and hence they are the true sons/believers … and that the others are just deluded people who somehow got lost along the way to salvation. Dividing the world into Jews and Goyim is simply the Jewish idea of monotheism, or in other words, the Jewish defacement of monotheism which we today and most unfortunately still endure through its long term fallouts.

What kind of god, who would favor a particular son and detest/abondon his others. This was something totally new to the Ancient Near East. May be the Egyptians had their own gods, but that did not prevent them from respecting Babylonian gods like Ishtar or acknowledging their power.

Even when Alexander the great or the Greeks, known as Ptolemies, invaded Egypt, they continued to worship the ancient Egyptian gods alongside theirs. And sometimes the ancient gods of the two cultures were combined (Syncretized) in one divinity, as in the brilliant example of the syncretized god, Serapis (half Greek, half Egyptian), who stood in glory for hundreds of years at the temples of ancient Alexandria and at the gate of its splendid library until his sanctuary was desecrated by the intolerant/extremist followers of early Christianity.

(Watch the tragic destruction of the ancient library of Alexandria and the sanctuary of Serapis by a fanatic Christian mob)

The prejudiced monotheism of Judaism, based mainly on the principle of nepotism/favoritism, was such a setback and a demeaning step, for the ancient religious thinking, compared to the monotheism of Akhenaten and his god Aten. The Aten, contrary to the tribal version of Yahew, was a universal god, a sun disk that released and stretched out its rays all over the earth and blessed everybody, not just the Egyptians.

The Hebrew scribes, in a cheap bid to grant a piece of land to the Israelites, and through their deliberation/or thoughtlessness had managed to strip the literature of ancient Sumer and the mythology of Egypt of its mysticism, universalism and wisdom. Through their tampering with the rich theology of the Ancient near East, and by clumsily sticking their tribal god into its intricate and sublime design, the religious thinking and evolution has since been immersed in dogmatism, tainted with extremism and gone astray.

For more articles visit Dr. Ashraf Ezzat website

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The prejudiced monotheism of Judaism . . . resulted in Xianity of the East Europeans in 0 AD, then later Islam of the Bedouins in the 630s where the same was COPIED AGAIN from Xianity (Spirit Jibril / Angel Gabriel exactly the same) with modifications of a perhaps a slight improvement – no anthropomorphic depictions allowed but far worse in final application by authoritarian rulers who by many accounts use religion to manipulate tyranise the people, religious fundos and fundo type societies.

Like the latest pop fashion cult of personality or electronic fad, they all wanted in, but forgot their OWN Elder Gods in the process. Judaism was formed from the Egyptian Priesthood after the Bedouins overran Egypt and the Priesthood escaped through the Red Sea to found Jerusalem with Amon Ra being converted into Y.H.V.H. and Moses his prophet (this was copied by Xianity with Jesus the prophet, then later Islam with Mohammed his prophet . . . study each faith and some Comparative Religion as well as Ancient History).

Amon-Ra (Aten) was the progenitor of all Monotheisms by the lazy Heretic Pharoah Akhenaten who was too lazy to worship polytheistically.Akhenaten ‘invented’ Amon-ra which was to disintegrate into the warring factions of ‘Monotheism’ (Judaism, Islam, Xianity) today because Amon-Ra even though ‘original’, was as prejudiced as Judaism – was for Egyptians ONLY, much like Islam is for Muslims and headed by Arab Kings only.

In this Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 photo, James Davis, 73, stands over the grave of his wife, Patsy, in the front yard of the home they shared in Stevenson, Ala. The city sued to make Davis move his wife’s remains from the residential tract, and Davis is asking the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals to block an order requiring him to disinter her remains. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

In this Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 photo, James Davis holds a photo of his late wife, Patsy Davis, on the porch of their home in Stevenson, Ala. Davis buried his wife in their front yard, and the city filed suit to force him to remove the remains. Davis is fighting a court order requiring him to disinter the body. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

STEVENSON, Ala. (AP) — James Davis is fighting to keep the remains of his late wife right where he dug her grave: In the front yard of his home, just a few feet from the porch.

Davis said he was only abiding by Patsy Ruth Davis’ wishes when he buried her outside their log home in 2009, yet the city sued to move the body elsewhere. A county judge ordered Davis to disinter his wife, but the ruling is on hold as the Alabama Civil Court of Appeals considers his challenge.

Davis, 73, said he never expected such a fight.

“Good Lord, they’ve raised pigs in their yard, there’s horses out the road here in a corral in the city limits, they’ve got other gravesites here all over the place,” said Davis. “And there shouldn’t have been a problem.”

While state health officials say family burial plots aren’t uncommon in Alabama, city officials worry about the precedent set by allowing a grave on a residential lot on one of the main streets through town. They say state law gives the city some control over where people bury their loved ones and have cited concerns about long-term care, appearance, property values and the complaints of some neighbors.

“We’re not in the 1800s any longer,” said city attorney Parker Edmiston. “We’re not talking about a homestead, we’re not talking about someone who is out in the country on 40 acres of land. Mr. Davis lives in downtown Stevenson.”

A strong libertarian streak runs through northeast Alabama, which has relatively few zoning laws to govern what people do with their property. Even a neighbor who got into a fight with Davis over the gravesite — Davis said he punched the man — isn’t comfortable with limiting what a homeowner can do with his property.

“I don’t think it’s right, but it’s not my place to tell him he can’t do it,” said George W. Westmoreland, 79, who served three tours of duty in Vietnam. “I laid my life on the line so he would have the right to do this. This is what freedom is about.”

Westmoreland declined to discuss his specific objections to the grave.

It’s unclear when the appeals court might rule. Attorneys filed initial papers in the appeal on Friday. The decision could come down to whether the judges believe the front-yard grave constitutes a family plot that requires no approval or a cemetery, which would.

In the meantime, Davis has protested by running for City Council. A campaign sign hangs near a bigger sign in his yard that says: “Let Patsy Rest in Peace.”

A law professor who is familiar with the case said it’s squarely at the intersection of personal rights and government’s power to regulate private property. While disputes over graves in peoples’ yards might be rare, lawsuits over the use of eminent domain actions and zoning restrictions are becoming more common as the U.S. population grows, said Joseph Snoe, who teaches property law at Samford University in suburban Birmingham.

“The United States Supreme Court has said that the states, and the cities through the states, have the power to regulate. But if it goes too far … then the government’s got to pay, and there are certain things the government just doesn’t have the power to do,” he said. “As we get bigger and as government gets bigger and as people are more regulated … you start having more and more disagreements.”

Davis, a longtime carpenter, built the family’s home on a corner on Broad Street about 30 years ago in Stevenson, a town of about 2,600 in northeast Alabama. Once a bustling railroad stop, the city is now so quiet some people don’t bother locking their doors. Stars twinkle brightly in the night sky; there aren’t many lights to blot them out.

Davis first met Patsy when she was a little girl. They were married for 48 years, but she spent most of her final days bedridden with crippling arthritis. Seated on a bench beside her marble headstone and flower-covered grave, Davis said he and his wife planned to have their bodies cremated until she revealed she was terrified by the thought.

“She said this is where she wanted to be and could she be put here, and I told her, ‘Yeah,'” Davis said. “I didn’t think there’d be any problem.”

There was, though. A big one.

After his wife died on April 18, 2009, the City Council rejected Davis’ request for a cemetery permit. The decision came even though the county health department signed off on the residential burial, saying it wouldn’t cause any sanitation problems.

Ignoring the council’s decision, Davis said he and a son-in-law cranked a backhoe and dug a grave just a few feet from the house. A mortuary installed a concrete vault, and workers lowered Patsy’s body into the plot in a nice, metal casket.

The city sued, and the case went to trial early this year. That’s when a judge ordered Davis to move his wife’s remains to a licensed cemetery. That order is on hold to give the state appeals court time to rule.

For now, Davis visits his wife’s grave each time he walks out the front door. He puts fresh artificial flowers on it regularly, and he washes off the marker when raindrops splatter dirt on the gray stone. At Christmas, he said, he and other relatives hold a little prayer vigil around the grave, which is beside an old wooden garage.

Edmiston said the man rejected several compromises from the city, including the offer of two plots in the municipal graveyard.

While state officials say they don’t know how many people might be buried on residential lots in Alabama, burials on private property in Alabama are not uncommon, said Sherry Bradley, deputy environmental director for the state Department of Public Health.

While the state can regulate cemeteries, Bradley said it doesn’t have any control over family burial plots. The city contends the grave at Davis’ home is an illegal cemetery that falls under government oversight, said Edmiston, the city lawyer.

If nothing else, Edmiston said, the appeals court might decide what constitutes a “family burial plot” in Alabama, and what’s a cemetery.

“It would be far-reaching if they say anyone can bury someone in their front yard if there are no drainage issues,” he said.

As it is, Davis said his five children will bury him in the yard beside Patsy after he dies, and they and his 15 grandchildren will care for the property from then on.

“That’s my perpetual care,” said Davis, referring to the city’s worry about what the grave will look like after he dies.

Davis is adamant that he won’t move the body, regardless of what any court says.

“If they get it done it’ll be after I’m gone,” said Davis. “So if they order her to be moved, it’s a death sentence to me. I’ll meet Mama sooner than I planned on it.”

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Man’s home or land is their castle. End of issue. This is ‘sovereign’ territory, and James Davis is well within rights to do whatever. Sometimes this is also due to the distance to the nearest cemetary, the sheer amount of paperwork for funerals and cemetaries, or the sheer cost of buying plots at cemetaries, or simple wishes of the deceased before dying or from belief that ‘high density resting places are as bad as high density living’ . ‘Fresh artificial’ flowers?!? Oxymoron MSM propaganda article? These days hard to tell what news portals are trying to do . . .

St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff deputies examine a car with bullet holes at a crime scene where two sheriffs were killed and two wounded in LaPlace, La., Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

(AP) NEW ORLEANS – At least some of the seven people arrested in a fatal shootout with Louisiana deputies have been linked to violent anarchists on the FBI’s domestic terrorism watch lists, a sheriff said Saturday.

Detectives had been monitoring the group before Thursday’s shootout in Laplace in which two deputies were killed and two more wounded, said DeSoto Parish Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle. His detectives and other law enforcement discovered the suspects were heavily armed adherents to an ideology known as the “sovereign citizens” movement.

The FBI has classified “sovereign citizens” as people who believe they are free from all duties of a U.S. citizen, like paying taxes. The FBI considers the group’s members a danger for making threats to judges and law enforcement, using fake currency and impersonating police officers.

The seven suspects have been charged in the shooting of Deputy Michael Scott Boyington, who survived. But authorities have said murder charges are pending.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating the killings but declined to comment Saturday and referred questions to the Louisiana State Police, the lead investigating agency.

Arrested were the group’s apparent leader, 44-year-old Terry Smith, his wife, Chanel Skains, 37, and his two sons, Derrick Smith, 22, and Brian Lyn Smith, 24. Also arrested were Brittney Keith, the girlfriend of Brian Smith; Kyle David Joekel, 28, and a woman living with him, 21-year-old Teniecha Bright.

Brian Smith was charged with attempted first-degree murder and the others with related charges.

Detectives in Tennessee, Nebraska and Louisiana have sketched a portrait of an outlaw gang led by a 44-year-old accused molester named Terry Smith, who has a criminal record dating to 1984 in Morehouse Parish, the Times-Picayune reported Saturday.

Morehouse Parish Sheriff Mike Stubbs said the Smith family was notorious. He said they lived for a long time in a house on the outskirts of Bastrop.

“We had a good bit of dealings with them,” he said. He said the Smith brothers had been involved in theft and drugs.

Arbuckle, reached by telephone by The Associated Press, said his deputies had the group under surveillance and considered them armed and dangerous before they suddenly left his parish about two months ago. He said they had set up camp at a mobile home park while they working at an International Paper plant.

The sheriff said deputies became suspicious after they investigated a reported burglary in May at the park’s laundry. The detectives discovered members wanted under warrants issued in Tennessee, Nebraska and Louisiana.

“Once we had them on our radar we started doing research on them,” he said. Arbuckle said his detectives monitored the group until they left in November.

Sovereign citizens are a loosely organized movement founded in the 1970s and more fully developed in the 1980s, according to the Anti-Defamation League website.

Sovereign citizens believe that all levels of government have no jurisdiction over them and resist — sometimes with violence — authority including police, the website said.

They also like to use what is dubbed “paper terrorism.” It involves using frivolous lawsuits and fake documents and of using genuine documents such as IRS forms to intimidate, harass and coerce public officials, law enforcement officers and private citizens. Arbuckle said his detectives could easily have been the victims instead of the St. John the Baptist Parish deputies killed and wounded. Deputies Brandon Nielsen and Jeremy Triche were killed and along with Boyington, Jason Triche was wounded. The Triches were somehow related, authorities said.

“We understand they had some pretty good firepower,” Arbuckle said. “This very well could have been us” in the gunfight, he said.

He said the group traveled the country in trailers doing construction work and possessed a stockpile of weapons.

They were arrested after an early morning assault on Boyington led to the deadly shootout in the mobile home park in Laplace, a suburb west of New Orleans. Boyington was shot at the entrance of a parking lot used by contract workers on a job at a nearby oil refinery. He was working off-duty on a security detail at the lot.

Shortly thereafter, the other deputies were shot at the trailer park where a car involved in the first shooting was spotted.

Joekel and Brian Smith were hospitalized with gunshot wounds and will be jailed once they are out of the hospital. The others were jailed with bonds ranging from $350,000 to $750,000. The Gage County, Neb., Sheriff’s Office website listed Joekel among its most wanted fugitives, saying he is accused of making “terroristic threats” to patrons of a Nebraska bar and law enforcement officials. Sgt. Len Marie, a state police spokesman, said investigators were amassing evidence. He said the agency had received the reports from the DeSoto sheriff and other law enforcement agencies in other states. He said the FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was involved.

He said it was too early to verify links to the extremist groups associated with the sovereign citizen movement.

Actually if enough Congressmen and Governors decide that taxes do not exist, taxes will not exist. One does not have to be a ‘sovereign citizen’ to not want to pay taxes, though those with extreme amounts of surplus should at least support local infrastructure, enforcement or military. Theft and other crimes in the pursuit of abolishment of taxes though are wrong. Good work on not outright killing these people (we keep hearing about homeless or defenseless people killed by overwhelming numbers of police) and arresting them for a trial.

Hope the citizens were not roughed up or anything. Some ‘police’ though are false police, and dress up in uniforms or even have fitted cars to look like police cars. The sovereign citizens could use this ‘fake cops problem’ as an ‘excuse’ for opening fire or ‘defending themselves’ . . . though any incidental injuries or killings if traced would have this Anti-Defamation or ‘self defending’ lot in the grey area.

‘Not many women are prepared to make themselves unattractive just to get a laugh’: The world according to Morgana Robinson – By Louise Gannon – PUBLISHED: 21:00 GMT, 9 June 2012 | UPDATED: 21:00 GMT, 9 June 2012

Luckily, she will do anything for a giggle – which is probably why her biting new TV impressions show, Very Important People, is such a hit
‘You have to be tough in comedy, and that puts a lot of men off you. I definitely scare men. Women are still finding our way in comedy but that makes it incredibly exciting for me,’ said Morgana Robinson

‘You have to be tough in comedy, and that puts a lot of men off you. I definitely scare men. Women are still finding our way in comedy but that makes it incredibly exciting for me,’ said Morgana Robinson
Success is massively important to me.

I had a fairly unconventional upbringing and I’m really driven and incredibly tough on myself. I drive everyone mad during filming because I’m the one checking all the time to see if something is funny. I’m a tough girl who was brought up by a very strong mother and I very definitely have a point to prove.
Women find it difficult to be funny.

There aren’t that many female comedians around because it’s a pretty odd career choice for a woman. The biggest issue is making yourself look unattractive to get a laugh. I don’t have a problem with that – the more vile and grotesque I look, the funnier I think it is. But a lot of women just aren’t up for that, because we’re meant to be beautiful. You have to be tough in comedy, too, and that puts a lot of men off you. I definitely scare men. Women are still finding our way in comedy but that makes it incredibly exciting for me.
Morgana as Adele. ‘I spend hours and hours watching someone before I even start,’ she said

Morgana as Adele. ‘I spend hours and hours watching someone before I even start,’ she said
I got my break in a restaurant.

I worked on reception at a very posh London restaurant called Roka, which was always packed with celebrities and very important people. I was there for eight years earning £37.50 a night for the 5pm-1am shift. I got to know a lot of the regular clients, and one night I gave a DVD to John Noel, who looks after Russell Brand. It was pretty awful, shot in my flat by my mate with me sitting on a sofa pulling faces and wearing different hats. But a few nights later he came in and said: ‘Quit your job. Start throwing rice around.’ That was it. I started out wanting to be an actress but it was the comedy that always had that real pull for me. I like making people laugh.
Scarlett Johansson can be rude but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are sweethearts.

Working as the host of a flash restaurant gives you a real insight into how people behave. Scarlett Johansson was pretty offish and unpleasant to me, but whenever Brangelina came in they were always incredibly polite and friendly, and made sure they said thank you for any tiny thing I did for them. I met even more celebrities including Bono and Lily Allen when I was working checking coats at Matthew Freud’s Christmas party. I lost my cool a bit when Ronnie Ancona walked in because I’m such a massive fan, but she was lovely and gave me her number.
Fearne Cotton is a friend so I was very worried about impersonating her.

I did it for the first Very Important People show and after it aired on TV I didn’t hear from her for a few days. I was beside myself thinking I’d offended her, but then she just called and told me she thought it was funny. She’s very cool. I have no idea what Cheryl Cole or Helena Bonham Carter or Adele think of being ‘done’ in my new series. I spend hours and hours watching someone before I even start. I became completely obsessed with Helena Bonham Carter. I absolutely love her because I find her completely hilarious. I’d be mortified if she was offended by my impression.
I wanted to impersonate Kate Moss but I was told she wasn’t relevant any more.

I had some really hilarious sketches but I was banned from doing her because the producers didn’t think people would know who she was. It’s insane. Everyone knows Kate Moss. When I saw Russell Brand I told him I was doing him. He just sort of rolled his eyes and looked a bit puzzled. I don’t think it’s possible to offend Russell.
On Helena Bonham Carter: ‘I absolutely love her because I find her completely hilarious’

On Helena Bonham Carter: ‘I absolutely love her because I find her completely hilarious’
I went from living in poverty to going to one of the poshest boarding schools in Britain.

My parents met in Australia where I was born and then we came back to England and life was tough. I remember lots of arguments about money and then my parents split up. For a few years my mum and I were sleeping on sofas at friends’ houses. Then one day my lovely Aunt Jilly turned up and said she felt I ought to go to Benenden School in Kent. My dad has always been a real rogue. He was adopted and we didn’t know much about his past but it turned out he came from a very wealthy family. I thought the idea of boarding school was amazing. My mum was working for a gardening business at the time. I turned up in her bashed-up van as everyone else was piling out of Mercedes and Daimlers.
I learned to be funny at boarding school.

I wasn’t pretty – I had frog eyes and a giraffe neck – but I was the joker and I knew how to get attention. I didn’t worry about not being the prettiest. I was also fairly tough – probably too tough and ballsy for the quieter girls. Amazing to think that after leaving school I took a degree in sculpture.
I met a sister I never knew existed – and it turned out she was a rock star.

My dad was incredibly handsome as a young man and pretty wild. He just wasn’t cut out to be a conventional father. As I grew up I found out I had four half siblings from his previous relationships and we’ve slowly tracked each other down. When I was 21, I got a call from my dad. I hadn’t spoken to him for a year or so but he told me he’d found out my sister was in London and told me to go and buy The Face because she was on the front cover. And there she was – Brody Dalle, this tough, gorgeous rock star. It was pretty surreal. I went to the Brixton Academy to see her perform. I got completely drunk because I thought that was the only way to handle it. I went backstage and we were both just crying. It was sort of weird and beautiful and then she said: ‘We have the same nose.’ And we just talked. She has two gorgeous kids but she lives in LA and I’ve never been there. I guess it was all a bit like a scene from a film.
I learned to be a horse whisperer.

I spent time down in Cornwall with an amazing woman called Kate Mably and it was probably the most incredible time of my life. You get onto the ground with the horses, you learn to understand them and have this unbelievable communication with them. It was unforgettable.

‘Very Important People’ is on channel4.com/programmes/4OD; ‘The Morgana Show’ is out now on DVD

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There are very few female versions of ‘Jackass’ or slap stick specialists. And far too many militant feminists who are merely fronting the hegelian dialectic establishment with a control agenda AGAINST men, while being controlled by ELITE MEN. What society gets is subverted menfolk who are easier to control and less likely to challenge the ELITE MALE establishment. Mid tier feminists should be very aware that democracy dies if their men do not challenge the ‘establishment’, controlled by MALE ELITE who control ELITE Feminists who influence feminists to weaken SOCIETY and CIVILISATION. You’re destroying everything and democracy as well by feminist actions you feminist fools! Taking out men is taking out democracy! The sickening and machiavellian reality of gender politics used by the ‘establishment’ to destroy democracy!

CAIRO- A mob of hundreds of men have assaulted women holding a march demanding an end to sexual harassment, with the attackers overwhelming the male guardians and groping and molesting several of the female marchers in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.

From the ferocity of Friday’s assault, some of the victims said it appeared to have been an organized attempt to drive women out of demonstrations and trample on the pro-democracy protest movement.

The attack follows smaller scale assaults on women this week in Tahrir, the epicenter of the uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak to step down last year. Thousands have been gathering in the square this week in protests over a variety of issues – mainly over worries that presidential elections this month will secure the continued rule by elements of Mubarak’s regime backed by the ruling military.

Earlier in the week, an Associated Press reporter witnessed around 200 men assault a woman who eventually fainted before men trying to help could reach her.

Friday’s march was called to demand an end to sexual assaults. Around 50 women participated, surrounded by a larger group of male supporters who joined to hands to form a protective ring around them. The protesters carried posters saying, “The people want to cut the hand of the sexual harasser,” and chanted, “The Egyptian girl says it loudly, harassment is barbaric.”

After the marchers entered a crowded corner of the square, a group of men waded into the group of women, heckling them and groping them. The male supporters tried to fend them off, and it turned into a melee involving a mob of hundreds.

The marchers tried to flee while the attackers chased them and male supporters tried to protect them. But the attackers persisted, cornering several women against a metal sidewalk railing, including an Associated Press reporter, shoving their hands down their clothes and trying to grab their bags. The male supporters fought back, swinging belts and fists and throwing water.

Eventually, the women were able to reach refuge in a nearby building with the mob still outside until they finally got out to safety.

“After what I saw and heard today. I am furious at so many things. Why beat a girl and strip her off? Why?” wrote Sally Zohney, one of the organizers of the event on Twitter.

The persistence of the attack raised the belief of many that it was intentional, though who orchestrated it was unclear.

Mariam Abdel-Shahid, a 25 year-old cinema student who took part in the march, said “sexual harassment will only take us backward.”

“This is pressure on the woman to return home,” she said.

Ahmed Mansour, a 22 year-old male medical student who took part in the march, said there are “people here trying to abuse the large number of women protesters who feel safe and secure. Some people think it is targeted to make women hate coming here.”

“I am here to take a position and to object to this obscene act in society,” he said.

Assaults on women Tahrir have been a demoralizing turn for Egypt’s protest movement.

During the 18-day uprising against Mubarak last year, women say they briefly experienced a “new Egypt” taking place in Tahrir, with none of the harassment that is common in Cairo’s streets. Women participated in the anti-Mubarak uprising as leading activists, protesters, medics and even fighters to ward off attacks by security agents or affiliated thugs. They have continued the role during the frequent protests over the past 15 months against the military, which took power after Mubarak’s fall on Feb. 11, 2011.

But women have also been targeted, both by mobs and by military and security forces in crackdowns, a practice commonly used by Mubarak security against protesters. Lara Logan, a U.S. correspondent for CBS television, was sexually assaulted by a frenzied mob in Tahrir on the day Mubarak stepped down, when hundreds of thousands of Egyptians came to the square to celebrate.

In a defining image of the post-Mubarak state violence against women, troops dispersing a December protest in Tahrir were captured on video stripping a woman’s top off down to her blue bra and stomping with their boots on her chest, as other troops pulled her by the arms across the ground.

That incident prompted an unprecedented march by some 10,000 women through central Cairo in December in a show of outrage, demanding Egypt’s ruling military step down.

In contrast, the small size of Friday’s march could reflect the vulnerability and insecurity many feel in the square, which was packed with thousands of mostly young men by nightfall Friday. Twenty rights groups signed on to support the stand and hundreds more vowed to take part, according to the Facebook page where organizers publicized the event, but only around 50 women participated.

Sexual harassment of women, including against those who wear the Islamic headscarf or even cover their face, is common in the streets of Cairo. A 2008 report by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights says two-thirds of women in Egypt experienced sexual harassment on a daily basis. A string of mass assaults on women in 2006 during the Muslim feast following the holy month of Ramadan prompted police to increase the number of patrols to combat it but legislation providing punishment was never passed.

After Friday’s attack, many were already calling for another, much larger stand in the square against such assaults.

Another participant in Friday’s march, Ahmed Hawary, said a close female friend of his was attacked by a mob of men in Tahrir Square in January. She was rushed off in an ambulance, which was the only way to get her out, he said. After suffering from a nervous breakdown, she left Cairo altogether to work elsewhere in Egypt.

“Women activists are at the core of the revolution,” Hawary said. “They are the courage of this movement. If you break them, you break the spirit of the revolution.”

-dailystar.com.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“Women activists are at the core of the revolution,” Hawary said. “They are the courage of this movement. If you break them, you break the spirit of the revolution.”

Tsk! Titch! How presumptuous. The fists and guns of the men who took up arms is the REAL core of the revolution. Women were NOT the courage of this movement, the courage was in EVERY MAN who cared about the country, not the women who did not storm and occupy Tahrir. None needs to break ‘them’ women, and the spirit of the revolution is NOT even from the women to begin with! This is why this who heckling and groping occured, to remind of what was real or not. Did the women think they would be able to face the camel riders? Only the men could. This is more a Western provocation for subversive feminism than anything else, to take control of Egypt via the women. An apology by all ungrateful and presumptuous women who think this way is in order. The real minority of women who could face the camel riders made up less than 3% of the overthrowers of Mubarak. How could any claim women to be the core of the revolution? This is also not the time for sex-assault rallies! Egypt still has Islamists and Junta running for election, do the women know what that means if their men vote wrongly?

Attackers overwhelming the male guardians and groping and molesting several of the female marchers in Cairo’s Tahrir Square though could have saved their own case by not acting in this manner. Perhaps they were making a message about modesty. And indeed there is something inappropriate about the whole event of marching especially when stability is so fragile . . .

ARTICLE 3

Nun’s book on masturbation slammed by Vatican

Pope Benedict XVI addresses cardinals in the Clementine Hall at the Vatican in 2009. The Vatican slammed a “sexual morality” book written by an American Catholic nun, warning believers to stay away from the tome which justifies masturbation, homosexuality and divorce. (AFP Photo/Tony Gentile)

The Vatican slammed a “sexual morality” book written by an American Catholic nun on Monday, warning believers to stay away from the tome which justifies masturbation, homosexuality and divorce.

Margaret Farley’s 2006 book “Just Love – A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics” “affirms positions that are in direct contradiction with Catholic teaching in the field of sexual morality,” the Vatican said in a statement.

Farley, a member of the Sisters of Mercy and professor emerita at Yale Divinity School, expressed support for a long list of sins in the eyes of the Church.

“Masturbation usually does not raise any moral questions at all. It is surely the case that many women have found great good in self-pleasuring… (which) actually serves relationships rather than hindering them,” she wrote.

On the issue of homosexuality, the prominent theologian said “same-sex relationships and activities can be justified according to the same sexual ethic as heterosexual relationships and activities” and “should be respected.”

She also said not all marriages could last and supported both divorce for people who are irrevocably unhappy together and remarriage with new partners.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), which had been carrying out an investigation into the book, responded with a scathing criticism which tackled each of the issues Farley had raised.

It insisted that “masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action”, homosexual relations are “acts of grave depravity”, and “a marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any reason other than death.”

“The Congregation warns the faithful that the book is not in conformity with the teaching of the Church. Consequently it cannot be used as a valid expression of Catholic teaching,” it said.

Last week the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the main US association of Catholic nuns, defended itself against CDF accusations of “corporate dissent” over the Church’s teachings, particularly concerning homosexuality.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“same-sex relationships and activities can be justified according to the same sexual ethic as heterosexual relationships and activities” and “should NOT be respected.” – onlyin the Catholic denomination.

“masturbation is an intrinsically and gravely disordered action”, homosexual relations are “acts of grave depravity”, and “a marriage cannot be dissolved by any human power or for any reason other than death.” – onlyin the Catholic denomination.

This nun should join the Protestent denomination. Catholicism does not allow all of the above so please respect and don’t bother trying to change the Ctholics. The Vatican should just speak to the nearest highest ranking Protestant personality and ask the nun to declare herself no longer Catholic but protestant instead. No need to slam, just a curt letter to the wayward (by Catholic Church standards) and declaration of excommunication, and at most another to the Protestant faction to take the nun in (and also excommunication of Yale? for future Catholics?) . . . will do. Thats what they did in the past – excommunicate. The Spanish of course would torture the nun (maybe to death) with an Inquisitor, but those days are gone or at very worst apply total excommunication from all Church factions. The Catholic Church will be fewer in following and appear more fundo in these modern times, but while rules are rules, they can only be applied FOR THE CONSENTING members at least – with all false Catholics who do not believe, no matter how high in the hierarchy, no longer valid as members. Just don’t subvert or manipulate, declare beliefs and GTFO of the denomination!

NEW YORK — An Orthodox Jew who was weeks away from becoming a New York City police officer said he has been kicked out of the police academy for refusing to trim his beard.

Former recruit Fishel Litzman of Monsey was fired Friday after multiple confrontations with the department over the length of his whiskers, he told the Daily News (http://nydn.us/LDIivf).

Litzman is Hasidic and believes that cutting his beard is forbidden by God.

NYPD rules usually require officers to be clean-shaven. The department makes exceptions for beards kept for religious purposes, but even then only allows 1 millimeter worth of growth.

“I don’t understand what the problem would be,” Litzman said.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the department’s rules are reasonable and Litzman was aware of them when he signed up.

Litzman was first cited in January for his unkempt beard. He was a month away from receiving his shield when he was fired.

“I always wanted to be a police officer,” said Litzman, a 38-year-old father of five who speaks Hebrew and Yiddish and was once a paramedic.

His attorney, Nathan Lewin, said the police department knew when Litzman applied that he would not trim his beard.

And now, Lewin said, it’s a case of religious discrimination.

“We’re going to be deliberating and considering what the steps are that we’re going to take,” Lewin told The Associated Press on Saturday night.

The department hired its first Hasidic officer in 2006 and the force now has at least two dozen Orthodox Jewish officers.

Like observant Muslim and Sikh officers, Hasidic officers are allowed to keep their beards for religious reasons but must keep them neat and trimmed.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer issued a statement Saturday saying he was “deeply troubled” by the firing.

“While the NYPD can exercise control over the personal appearance of its force in order to ensure that all officers (are capable of performing their duties) havee a uniform appearance, they are also required to make a reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs,” Stringer said.

He urged the police commissioner to reconsider the case.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Token show of WH control over (at least NY state) Fed enforceable issues, or real autonomy from any Lobby and instead being America for Ammerica instead of ‘USA is Israel’s’ to order around? Jews incidentally were the remnants of Egypt’s Priesthood, and formed Judea under David in 1026 BC. With ‘Amon-Ra’ rebranded as the ‘YHVH form God’ which later Aramea (Xianity) and then Bedouins (Islam) copied and to this day fight over ‘franchise rights’ in several splinter groups each.

TWO ‘MEDIA’ JEWS who enjoy lavish exposure by the Jewish-controlled Press are gritting their teeth hoping to take a bite out of Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin.

In a feature OpEd of the Jew-dominated Financial Times, “Time To Blackball Russia’s Autocratic State,” (& Here), Ian Bremmer and Nouriel Roubini—both Jews—just can’t seem to satisfy the anti-Christ rats in their bellies in their malice toward Christian Russia.

Bremmer (founder of the Eurasia Group as a means of bringing Jewish hegemony over Eurasia) and Roubini (touted as an innovative economist) are calling for Russia to be “blackballed” and justify their wishful Jewish fantasy with a pack of Jewish lies:

“Corruption is endemic in Russia. Graft is a particular problem. Capital flight has reportedly accelerated since Putin’s re-election in March.

Russia’s population is falling – because healthcare is poor, socially driven diseases such as alcoholism is rampant, and well-educated Russians are leaving in search of better opportunities elsewhere.” View Entire Story Here & Here.

Indeed, a froth-full of lies spew forth from Bremmer’s and Roubini’s Jewish lips.

Contrary to their assertions, there is NO demographic crisis in Russia. The population of Russia has increased by one million since early 2011. In the first quarter of 2012, Forbes Magazine responsibly reports, Russia’s population grew by 31,000.

Yes, there was a crisis in the 90’s when the drunkard Yeltsin was in the hands of the Jewish oligarchs. But, this crisis has been gradually arrested.

BOTH PUTIN AND MEDVEDEV, (after 80 years of Jewish Bolshevik domination), are addressing corruption and graft issues.

Rumours of capital flight occurring since Putin’s re-election are exactly that, “rumours.” The rouble under Putin is actually being promoted by investment experts as the least risky investment.

And as regards “social diseases” such as alcoholism, Putin has revived the Orthodox Church; closed down all the casinos in Russia; taken over the Jew-owned TV stations and instituted religious programming; introduced Orthodoxy 101 into Russia’s public schools; forbidden “gay parades” — all of which are part of Putin’s efforts to stave off vice and immorality.

Moreover, for Bremmer and Roubini to heap praises upon communist China (a hundred times more repressive than Russia) while hell-bent on blackballing Russia for being an “authoritarian” state, one wonders if these Jewish ‘experts’ are simply blinded by their fear of Putin. For there is no man Jewry fears more than Vladimir Putin.

RUSSIA FOILS JEWRY’S AGENDA FOR SYRIA

BREMMER AND ROUBINI launched their smears against Putin by denouncing Russia’s opposition to a “humanitarian” intervention (Read: Jewish decimation of a sovereign nation) into Syria.

But Russia under Putin still has the last word with respect to Syria recommending to UN envoy, Kofi Annan, “an unbiased probe” of the murders in Houla.

Both Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, and The Associated Press, stated that the 108 murdered in Houla were killed at close range—execution style—indicating the work of armed terrorists rather than the Syrian army.

But do you think this matters to Jewish Senator, Joseph Lieberman, Romney’s favorite pick for State Department head? No.

THIS BLOODTHIRSTY Jewish warmonger Lieberman who proposes “arming” the Syrian rebels is now calling for a US military intervention to dismantle Syria into competing militias and warlords to pave the way for a Greater Israel.

But Bremmer, Roubini, and their Synagogue buddy, Lieberman, can spout, demand and propose all they want.

For with Russia’s arms shipment and anti-terror troops newly arrived in Syria’s Port of Tartus and with Putin’s inauguration of the Nord Stream Pipeline—heating the homes and fueling the industries of an energy-starved Europe—Jewish fantasies to “blackball” Russia are no more than paper dreams.

And since it is moral integrity that these Jews are scorning, not only are they on the WRONG side of history but they’re on the RIGHT side of Hell.

Don’t joke Bro Nat. USA semi-worries about China, and China is semi-worried about Russia. All 3 mentioned nations are 100s of times larger than Israel and have militarizable citizens 10s to 1000s of times more than Israel or several times USA. Israel blackballs nothing. Russia and China which at least have sort of a working relationship and could together demand that USA blackballs Israel (which could be overrun by just Iran alone) instead, and USA would do that in a moment because USA is not a religious, much less Judaist state nor does USA really identify with the Middle Eastern culture. Israel should keep promises on 1960s treaties and punish wayward Jewish citizens who have overstepped treaties. Russia and China are somewhat chaotic and sparsely peopled overall even at such population levels, but given a protracted period of peace (say 2-3 decades at most), the 2 countries (even as of now and even if WW3 with nukes was declared) are already the winners in the earth conquest game.

Military mamas breast-feed with pride. A photo shoot at an Air Force base, intended to raise awareness about breast-feeding, has stirred up controversy. – by Pamela Sitt

Is breast-feeding while in uniform conduct unbecoming to a military mom?

The debate over nursing in public got a new layer recently, when photos taken on an Air Force base began to circulate online. In the series of tasteful professional photos showing beaming moms as they nurse their kids, one jumps out: the photo of two servicewomen with their uniform shirts unbuttoned and hiked up to breast-feed.

“A lot of people are saying it’s a disgrace to the uniform. They’re comparing it to urinating and defecating [while in uniform],” says Crystal Scott, a military spouse who started Mom2Mom in January as a breast-feeding support group for military moms and “anyone related to the base” at Fairchild AFB outside Spokane, Wash. “It’s extremely upsetting. Defecating in public is illegal. Breast-feeding is not.”
Live Poll

Should military moms breast-feed in uniform, in public?

It was Scott’s idea to ask photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir to take photos of real-life breast-feeding moms to create posters for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August. One of the moms photographed in uniform, Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, breast-feeds her 10-month-old twin girls on her lunch breaks during drill weekends as a member of the Air National Guard.

“I have breast-fed in our lobby, in my car, in the park … and I pump, usually in the locker room,” she says. “I’m proud to be wearing a uniform while breast-feeding. I’m proud of the photo and I hope it encourages other women to know they can breast-feed whether they’re active duty, guard or civilian.”

She said she’s surprised by the reaction to the photos, which also feature her friend Christina Luna, because it never occurred to her that breast-feeding in uniform would cause such a stir.

“There isn’t a policy saying we can or cannot breast-feed in uniform,” Echegoyen-McCabe says. “I think it’s something that every military mom who is breast-feeding has done. … I think we do need to be able to breast-feed in uniform and be protected.”

The Air Force has no policy specifically addressing breast-feeding in uniform, according to Air Force spokesperson Captain Rose Richeson, who added, “Airmen should be mindful of their dress and appearance and present a professional image at all times while in uniform.”

Brynja Sigurdardottir

Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, left, and Christina Luna breast-feed their children. Terran says she’s proud of the photo, though she didn’t expect it to get such a reaction.

Robyn Roche-Paull has been advocating for such a policy since she left the U.S. Navy 15 years ago. Her challenges in breast-feeding her son while on active duty – she recalls her “flaming red face” upon being reprimanded for nursing in a medical waiting room – prompted her to write a book called “Breastfeeding in Combat Boots” as a resource for military moms. She is now an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who remains close to the military through her active-duty husband and her blog for military moms.

“If you follow the comments on my blog, a lot of the comments are that the breast-feeding mothers are the ones who need to be covered up. Nobody sees anything wrong with bottle feeding mothers or fathers,” she says. “Asking mothers to feed a baby by bottle when they are together, simply because they are in uniform, can both affect the mom’s milk supply and her willingness to keep breast-feeding or stay in the military. It’s simply one more barrier they have to face.”

The criticism of the photo goes beyond the usual nursing-in-public debate, though. One commenter on Roche-Paull’s website who identified herself as a retired captain in the Marine Corps said she advocated for breast-feeding moms in the military and now, as a civilian, she nurses freely on base. However, she writes:

“I would never nurse in uniform. I took my child to the bathroom or a private office when her nanny brought her to me …. Not because I was ashamed of nursing, nor of being a mother. All the guys knew I pumped. The military is not a civilian job. We go to combat and we make life or death decisions, and not just for ourselves but for those we lead. The same reason I would never nurse in uniform is the same reason I do not chew gum, or walk and talk on my cell phone, or even run into the store in my utility uniform. … We are warfighting professionals. Women before us have worked too hard to earn and retain the respect of their male peers. I don’t want my Marines to look at me any other way than as a Marine. When I am asking them to fly into combat with me and do a dangerous mission, I do not want them to have the mental image of a babe at my breast. I want them to only see me as a Marine. Let’s be a realistic folks. We give up many freedoms being in the military…Breastfeeding in front of my fellow Marines was one of them.”

Another commenter on the blog replies:

“There is N-O-T-H-I-N-G more authoritative than a strong mother standing tall breastfeeding as she barks orders. It’s AWESOME that you’ve worked so hard promote breastfeeding, but I think you *might* be selling yourself short.”

The women in the photo have given some thought to the whole question of military versus maternal duties. To those who believe breast-feeding in uniform undermines the authority of a female officer, Echegoyen-McCabe says:

“I guess my thoughts are, if you don’t want to breast-feed in your uniform, you don’t have to. But you should have respect for those who do. … If anything, it should make people look at you as someone who is able to multitask.”

What do you think? Sound off on our TODAY Moms Facebook page.

Pamela Sitt is a champion multitasker who lives in Seattle. She blogs about motherhood on her website, http://www.clarasmom.com.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

“There is N-O-T-H-I-N-G more authoritative than a strong mother standing tall breastfeeding as she barks orders. It’s AWESOME that you’ve worked so hard promote breastfeeding, but I think you *might* be selling yourself short.”

A thought provoking manly attack on manhood will be countered by a thought provoking feminine defense of feminity.

Appropriate clothes for appropriate activity please F-R-E-A-K-S. These are MILITARY work clothes. Much like smokers who forgot the ‘Smoking Jacket’, or Sunday (or whatever day) Best for days of worship. Uniforms for the heat of battle will be weakened by ‘milkmaid’ energies. Please dress appropriate to the activity. Swaddling smocks and maternity robes for nursing or pregnant mothers respectively, or this is just another display of fashion philistinism under guise of feminism, counter-sumptuary feminism to be precise. The use of the word barking also alludes to literal bitches, what that means, I leave to the overripe imagination and self anointed ‘Feminist Inquisitors’ to butcher themselves or the writers over . . .

There is a a time and place and context, though of course there should also be no rules on the above if the female soldiers *really want to*. If they want to be wetnurses so badly, just join the maternity industry or ‘milk producing’ industry instead. The stereotype of ‘hard’ or ‘dry’ butch women in military is as bad a stereotype to promote as a woman nursing in combat uniform. Baby’s little soul would be wondering if mom was going to war or is a MAN. Out of Context. Inappropriate and UNCIVILISED! Next thing we know, American female soldiers will be torturing prisoners with sprayings of colostrum, or did that already happen at Abu Gharaib like places . . .

One commentator had the entire view right, though not in the clothes appropriateness or spiritual angle but the commonsense one

. . . Let’s be realistic folks. We give up many freedoms being in the military…Breastfeeding in front of my fellow Marines was one of them.”

ARTICLE 7

Sex harassment shock: One-third of women have considered quitting work over sexism – Monday, 28 May 2012 13:05

Half of women workers are being harassed on a daily basis, including being the butt of chauvinist jokes and hearing sexist remarks.

And 40% have been touched in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable, such as a slap on the bottom or hand on the thigh, a poll of 3,434 female employees said yesterday.

It also found 27% have been kissed despite spurning advances, 66% have had inappropriate comments about their clothes from the boss or other males, and 46% react by dressing down for work.

Shockingly, 33% have considered quitting and 25% suffered mental and physical health problems as a result.

“Women have to run a gauntlet of inappropriate workplace behaviour every day.

“Hundreds of thousands suffer discrimination of some kind, and half of those we spoke to said they didn’t know where to go for help.”

-mirror.co.uk

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

‘Collared’ workers of any type (later leashed with neck ties at office level – which is what neck ties are – unbeknownst to the conformist masses, (even white collar types are just dogs to the boss owner elite and unsuspecting supporters of the ‘Education-Debt Financier Complex’ – you’ll know who these parasites are by their stand on free tertiary education issues), especially lower ranked or younger ones, and are automatically objectified. The uniform itself another objectifying form (to avoid if one has that luxury). Uniforms have a life of their own (spiritually and symbolically speaking) and combined with collar and tie, you end up with a leashed ‘Dog (or Beast) of War’.

Talking to the SUIT, not the person! The soul of humanity in these people though, returns AFTER WORK HOURS, schizophrenia if anything, especially in those who do not identify with or choose their work consciously from sheer lack of choice (any who have the luxury to dissociate from the above nonsense that is ‘life’ are privileged, other issues not withstanding. . . ). Finally women who cannot get married do not gain the same kind of respect as home makers, with home makers WITH hired help especially privileged (domestic abuse issues either of wife or servant, physical, psychological or emotional, notwithstanding) and the concept of ‘mothers’ and ‘homemakers’ being an eternal classic.

Anaheim, California (CNN) – It feels odd to be in a car sat next to a guy texting a pimp. Even more odd, he’s pretending to be a prostitute. It can all get a little strange in the digital pursuit of human traffickers.

I’m sitting in the front seat of an SUV in a part of Orange County, California only the locals see – where the hotels are not chains and have names that cops and criminals alike know well. The “prostitute” beside me is actually Sergeant Craig Friesen.

Nearby, either parked or patrolling, are four other vehicles holding the rest of his undercover team.

Earlier, we saw a pickup truck in a parking lot across the street approaching several women. The guy wasn’t having much luck – which was too bad since he was on Friesen’s crew.

Over the radio the detective relayed that after propositioning one lady she did offer a sex act – telling him he should go F$@# himself.

It’s an example of how prostitution can bring down a neighborhood, making it so a woman can’t go to the store without being harassed by some john who’s looking for sex.
Click to watch video

Despite the area being known for the sex trade, things are slow. Either the team’s cover was known or it was an off day. Every business has them.

Then the undercover cop in the pickup gets lucky. He picks up a petite African American girl wearing blue patterned shorts and top. They drive off and we fall in behind trailing at a distance in the noon hour traffic.

Out of nowhere a black and white police car pulls in behind the pickup. The lights flash, the “whoop, whoop” sounds and the pickup is pulled over. Friesen guns the SUV, roaring past the scene and into a nearby alley.

We get out and head back to what appears to be a busted undercover operation but the sergeant’s not upset – this is all part of the plan.

Friesen has the girl take a seat on the curb as the patrol car blocks her from passing traffic. He comes down to her level and begins the most important part of the whole operation – he needs to earn her trust and her confidence.

He begins by explaining she’s not under arrest. It’s in keeping with the new attitude of law enforcement that prostitutes are victims, controlled and manipulated by their pimps. They are caught up in the worldwide plague of human trafficking. And they try to help the victims escape.

Friesen is trying to get the woman to turn her pimp in. Eventually, Friesen tells her, she will be brought back to police headquarters and placed in the care of social services, who will offer her a place to live and a way off the street so she’s not dependent on the pimp for her needs.

The young woman listens but doesn’t buy it. She stays silent. Eventually Friesen gives up and she is taken away. But the sergeant has hung on to her cell phone.
Click to watch video

He sees texts on the phone that appear to come from her pimp, and he responds as if he is the woman. Which is how I came to be seated in an SUV in Anaheim with a prostitute, um, pretend prostitute.

Since her guy thinks she’s gone off with a client, Friesen waits a while, then sends the message that the client left her at a hotel and she needs the pimp to pick her up. He gives the location as a hotel Friesen and his team have already staked out.

A reception committee of several armed officers waits inside the hotel, other spotters are nearby, and Friesen and I are parked across the street as he continuously sends messages to the pimp. “He left come get me.”

Then there’s a problem.

The pimp texts back he wants her to call him which, of course, Friesen can’t do. He quickly improvises and texts back the phone has a problem: “My phone trippin'” and she can only text.

He knows it’s a weak ploy… But what else can he do? The fingers still fly and the digital conversation goes on, but it becomes pretty clear the pimp is suspicious.

The team continues to wait, but after an hour the pimp’s a no-show and the texts stop coming. The operation is finally called off.

Months later, through phone records and surveillance, they finally turn this virtual conversation into a real arrest.

But although they think they have the man who they suspect is forcing a young woman into prostitution, the district attorney’s office doesn’t find enough evidence to make charges stick, and the man is let go.

The end result is something Friesen and his team have grown to accept. A young woman was pulled off the street and offered the opportunity for help. Sometimes that’s all you can hope for.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Some of these prostitutes are there of their own volition, and are not being victimised at all, in fact are USING pimps or madams as sales agents and promoters of sorts, because the prostitute does not like to haggle over prices, or because some patrons lose interest in the prostitute when they talk money (bargaining excessively creates bad feelings) with the sex worker.

Also the net effect can be that the pimp or madam gets to be the ‘bad cop’ which improves the quality of sex for some patrons in fact because the prostitute seems so much more ‘good cop’ later on etc.. Communications can be that nuanced, and this is not even the entire gamut of pimp/madam, prostitute, customer relations! The conversation about money for the above example can de-objectify the sex worker and spoil the mood of the hirer.

In either case, the adult services industry has many shades of grey, the issue of non-consensual sex workers or sex workers USING pimps and madams rather than being forced by the pimp or madam is the main one enforcement must understand, with sex work per se best given a proper place (a designated street or district) for sexworkers to work from with their promoters and also adult establishments to work from or at certain times suitable for adult activities.

Editor’s Note: CNN Freedom Project this week is reporting from the front lines in the fight against sex trafficking – not in the poverty-stricken developing world but in affluent Orange County near Los Angeles, where prostitutes are now treated as trafficking victims rather than criminals.

Billy Dowd is a man looking for hookers, and he doesn’t care who knows it!

He’s also seeking ex-convicts, drug dealers, prison guards and junkies — or anyone who could convincingly portray them on the big screen. That’s because the Scituate casting agent is in charge of hiring extras for the currently untitled “Cop Buddy Comedy” starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa

McCarthy that begins shooting in Boston in late July.

“They don’t have to be real,” Dowd told the Track. “Although they could be real hookers and drug dealers, I don’t care. I’m looking for realism! I need people who can realistically portray them and there are going to be a lot of those types in this film.”

Dowd is also seeking extras to be cops, FBI agents and detectives, prison inmates, “ladies of the evening,” (which wethinks are hookers again) and “energetic and attractive party people.”

The comedy, directed by Paul Feig, who also called the shots for Melissa in “Bridesmaids,” is about a high-strung FBI agent, played by Bullock, who teams up with “an unconventional Boston cop.” Hilarity, as you know, will ensue.

Dowd is holding a casting call later in the month, but if he doesn’t get what he’s looking for there, he’s been known to go to extremes to find the right people for the roles.

“The next step would be to go to groups and organizations where we can find what we’re looking for, you know, like the HOA, Hookers Of America,” he joked.

“When I was casting ‘American Gangster’ in Thailand I actually had to go to those bars where the girls dance, you know, and negotiate with the madame, ‘I’m taking seven girls, how much?’ That’s how I go at it and that’s how we did the bar scene with Denzel Washington.”

Interested in showing Dowd your stuff? Head for the Boston Teachers Union Hall in Dorchester from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 23. Bring a head shot and a pen, because people keep stealing Billy’s.

“No kids!” he insisted. “It’s only for people over 18. Don’t bring your kids because I’m not going to look at them!”

File Under: He’s Gonna Make You A Star.
Inside Track – June 15, 2012:

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Wealth distribution instead of enrichment of already wealthy actors and actresses! Organic casting and sharing the wealth will be better than fakes. Also some people who might have died of starvation or cold could get to retire in reasonable conditions EVEN as opposed to giving some Joe

Publics a chance, the needs basis of the worst off among people is far more serious. Dowd should always consider that when deciding which person gets that lifeline and which person needs or would appreciate that more. A person with a job or another who might die if they didn’t get cast. Have a heart Dowd. How one feels about the underdog when in a position to do something determines a certain whos who . . . heres rough outline of a bill on a state controlled, perhaps contractor privatizable take on pensions for Adult Industry Workers based around a 401K basis :

Required work ‘output’ for employees
– 8 hour day. 8 ‘contact’ per hour AND 8 ‘full’ service sessions / day / 16+ (or on a biological/psyche test, recommended study material and test completed basis) only
– double sessions lower required work time by half
– alternatively 1 film per month

2 out of 4 selectable shifts (on condition someone fills in, are selectable and rotatable. And with meal breaks) otherwise if insufficient manpower will be required to follow any roster assignment of 2 shifts.

100K gratuity for incall contracts for 10 year period LMC limit imposed (this is not to discriminate but rather to discourage prostitution as a major profession)
250K gratuity for incall contracts for 20 year period ULC limit imposed
401K gratuity for incall contracts for 30 year period MLC limit imposed

1) Clients wishing to use RLD need to undergo health check before being allowed access to RLD. Sex workers wishing to work in RLD also need to undergo health check before being allowed access to RLD.
2) sex workers should not marry unless formally retired

Fun is fun, but even sex workers do need to retire, so instead of being all brimstone and hellfire, upper-class/bureaucrat queasy, or too arrogant to engage the supposed ‘low lifers’ who do keep the night scene going and adding a pulse of life to the city, the state needs to step in to ensure adult workers are safe and catered for in old age as any citizen, even as the more fundo or ill regulated of countries need to formalise adult industry districts or zones.

Here’s an example of ‘Bureaucrat Queasy’ (well in this case maybe doubles, ‘Muslim Queasy’ as well . . . )

Works are a right of humanity, regardless of the type. I hear Malaysia has been banning lots of books? Is quasi fundo in mindset? Is apartheid in application of law and constitution. Telling free citizens of the world to ‘Produce Works That Do Not Violate Morals, Ethics’, is sooo ‘weaksauce’ undemocratic . . .

Our informative friends at CNSNews.com discovered that the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse (NIAA) has been awarded $2.6 million U.S. tax dollars to help train Chinese prostitutes to “drink responsibly on the job.”

It’s heartwarming that the NIAA cares so deeply about China’s FSWs (that is university speak for whores — Female Sex Workers), and all, but what of American prostitutes?

Dr. Xiaoming Li, the lead leading this program at Wayne State School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan told CNSNews that his work is “potentially of great importance” as

“Previous studies in Asia and Africa and our own data from FSWs [female sex workers] in China suggest that the social norms and institutional policy within commercial sex venues as well as agents overseeing the FSWs (i.e., the ‘gatekeepers’, defined as persons who manage the establishments and/or sex workers) [we call those pimps in the real word – ed] are potentially of great importance in influencing alcohol use and sexual behavior among establishment-based FSWs,” says the NIH grant abstract submitted by Dr. Li to create a better world for those Chinese “FSWs.”

“Therefore, in this application, we propose to develop, implement, and evaluate a venue-based alcohol use and HIV risk reduction intervention focusing on both environmental and individual factors among venue-based FSWs in China,” as a “community-based cluster randomized controlled trial,”. Dr. Li is all concerned that alcohol plays an important part of spreading HIV infections in China and he prostitution and sexual work in China and USA can be a safer, more fun career choice.

Sex workers in China like to get drunk though that some like being treated like animals does not have any relation to drinking. Some do get drunk as they are not really interested in the work. Both the purveyor and the customer and should have awareness of alcoholism in women cast in the role of a commodity, so that a sex workers will be worth more than the momentary sexual release that she can facilitate.

Cleverly Obama becomes the president of Chinese hookers . . . though a proper pension and properly assigned space as earlier suggested for sex work should be formalized. All sorts of new and interesting powers in the penumbra of the Constitution, are being found that invariably bring USA and China closer together, even in something as simple as education about alcohol for sex workers.

**UPDATE**

The grant went out in November 2007 so, Obama is not responsible for this funding. Bush is. So at least one thing was done to better relations during the Bush warmonger years. Consideration to issues asian prostitutes face. Dr. Li Xiaoming is aware enough that with this sort of acceptable fringe issue, in sufficient quantity, nations can become closer though not obviously so. Bush an extreme strategist? Can’t imagine . . . maybe some obscure bureau did the above on their own, kuudos in either case . . .

Editor’s note: Davinder Kumar is an award-winning development journalist who works for children’s rights organization Plan International.

Five-year-old Aliya thinks it is a game she must master quickly to be a winner. From the time she wakes up, until she goes to bed, Aliya watches her mother and all the girls and women in her neighborhood consumed in a frantic race: Making beedis – traditional hand-rolled Indian cigarettes.

To create each beedi, the maker painstakingly places tobacco inside a dried leaf sourced from a local ebony tree; tightly rolls and secures it with a thread; and then closes the tips using a sharp knife.

For anything between 10 and 14 hours, regardless of how long it takes, Aliya’s mother and others must all roll at least 1,000 beedis to earn a paltry sum of less than $2 a day, paid by the middleman.

The beedi manufacturers, however, make billions of dollars.

The cigarettes are taken to the warehouses of large manufacturers, where they are packaged before being sold in the market for a much higher price.

Beedis are so popular that they make for nearly half of India’s entire tobacco market. but, behind the country’s unorganized domestic tobacco sector lie invisible millions trapped in modern day economic slavery.

Assembly line of workers

In Aliya’s town of Kadiri in Andhra Pradesh alone, hundreds of families have for generations relied on beedi rolling as their only means of survival.

The labyrinthine, congested lanes of Kadiri slums are home to an assembly line of humans functioning like robots: Young girls and women alike can be seen rolling cigarettes in groups out in the open. Some sway, some rock back and forth appearing entranced, while others have developed odd muscular motions as they push their work speed to the edge of human limits.

For most, if they do not roll enough beedis every day there simply will not be food on the table.

“The pressure to keep up with the speed and meet the target is so intense that many skip their meals and even avoid drinking water so they do not need to go to the toilet,” says Shanu, a community volunteer.

Almost all beedi workers in Kadiri, like the other beedi manufacturing pockets in India, are female and a large of number of them young girls.

Aliya has already started her lessons early and is practising rolling beedis using cuttings of plain paper. “I want to roll beedis and give money to my mother,” she says.

A study released nearly three years ago estimated a scandalous number of over 1.7 million children are working in India’s beedi rolling industry. Children are knowingly engaged by manufacturers due to belief that children’s nimble fingers are more adept at rolling cigarettes.

Hazardous work

Under Indian law, beedi rolling is defined as hazardous work, but a loophole means children who help their parents in their work fall outside the legal framework.

“Formally, it is the women who take on the orders from the contractors,” says Anita Kumar of Plan India. “However, behind the scenes, the pressures these women face in terms of delivering on huge volumes, invariably children, mainly girls, get pulled into this to support their families in beedi rolling.”

As part of its global “Because I am a Girl” campaign, children’s rights organization Plan International has started a program focused on girl child labor in Andhra Pradesh, including girls involved in beedi making. The project will collectively impact 1,500 girls over 3 years. Children trapped in beedi work will need a rescue effort on a much larger scale.

“We are aiming to create a model by working with communities and the local government structures ensuring that children are prevented from falling into this cycle of labor,” says Kumar.

From unhealthy living conditions to exploitative wages, slave-like working conditions and severe health consequences – the situation of beedi workers involves violation of their fundamental rights and freedoms on many levels. The majority of girls are pulled out of education by the time they complete primary school to support their families’ income.

The youngest of four siblings, 11-year-old Salma dropped out of school last year when she had completed grade 4.

“I wanted to continue going to school but we are very poor and have been struggling to pay the rent,” she says as she struggles to draw breath.

Trapped in economic slavery

Salma is suffering from jaundice and is so frail she can barely sit up straight. Yet, she is tasked with rolling up to 1,500 beedis a day to support her family. Squatting on the floor, hunched, she rolls cigarettes for over 12 hours every day and still earns just over two dollars.

In addition to jaundice, Salma has also developed a ringworm infection on her wrist, common in the area due to poor hygiene and sanitation. She is in dire need of medical attention but visiting local hospital means a day off work due to long queues and a day’s wages to pay for transport – her parents cannot afford either.

The health impact on beedi workers is visible on all age groups. Tuberculosis, asthma, body pain and postural problems related with hips and joints are most common.

Continuous beedi rolling leads to absorption of high doses of nicotine directly through skin. The skin on the children’s fingertips begins to thin progressively, and by the time they reach their 40s they cannot roll cigarettes any more.

Mahboobjaan, a mother of three girls, is in her mid-30s and is already losing sensation in her hands. ”My hands often swell up. I don’t know what I will do if I can’t roll beedi anymore,” she says.

The worst thing for beedi workers is the feeling that there is no protection, no welfare, no state support. They vote but have no power or effective representation. For all development indicators they remain at the bottom of the ladder all their lives.

And among them, the girls suffer the most. Throughout their life cycle their basic rights are violated; as children, as child brides, as young mothers, they continue to fight for survival with extreme labour and economic slavery.

In summer as the temperatures reach 45 degrees Celsius, the streets of Kadiri are engulfed in a stifling cloud of tobacco dust. Infants play among heaps of tobacco leaves.

Covered in a pool of sweat, young girls roll beedis with their eyes transfixed on their tobacco tray. Older women, who can no longer roll beedis themselves, help by trimming the ebony leaves. The work continues till late in the night just to secure the next day’s meal and to keep a roof above the workers’ heads.

The next morning, and for almost every morning for the rest of their lives, it is exactly the same story: The breathless race to 1,000 starts all over again with a single beedi.

[The children’s names have been changed].

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Wealth distribution issues here. Suggest that a ‘Wealth Distribution for Welfare Deductible‘ is imposed on the distribution network at each stage of the supply chain at a level (maybe 10%-30% levies per stage of supply chain to be released after a set period? How many ruppees is that over a lifetime or per month to allow retirement at comfortable middle class by age 55 for example?) to ensure the professional beedi makers have a reasonable quality of life. If beedi making conditions are too harsh or labour intense, the industry will get a bad reputation and the workers will try to leave the industry, with continuity of the industry dependent on India’s poverty and by extension the sub-conscious desire of beedi smokers to want cheeper bidis and thus subconsciously keep India poor in a vicious psychic, psychological undercurrent that keeps India from raising the status of India’s poorest.

Call him Jesse “The Mind” or Jesse “The Body” Ventura, the former pro-wrestler and Minnesota governor talks to me about his latest book, “DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODicans”, crazy tax policies, and why he’s more Occupy than Tea Party.

Monday afternoon, two p.m. in Minneapolis, three p.m. in New York. On the phone with Jesse Ventura.

Kenneth Rapoza: I’d recognize that voice anywhere.

Jesse Ventura: [chuckles, signature Jesse] It’s a hard one to miss. Good to talk with you today, Ken.

KR: This morning on The Takeaway, Joseph Stiglitz was talking about income inequality and the growing inequality of opportunity in the U.S. You’re a Vietnam vet. Are we more divided now than we were then, at least politically speaking?

JV: We were more divided then. The true turning point as a nation was when the National Guard shot four students dead at Kent State. We’re divided, but they haven’t shot anybody since.

KR: Would you send your kids to war today?

JV: I’d be a conscientious objector. You’re going to war for corporations, not for people. Smedley Butler, a general in the Marine Corp., said that about our interventions in Central America. It’s a very well known critique about U.S. wars.

KR: I’ve heard it many times. But there’s a different kind of division now, not just politically right and left. We’re seeing a class division creep in. The rich really are getting richer — way richer in fact — and the middle class are definitely getting poorer. I was surprised to see, but you write a lot

about that in your book. You’re a one percenter. What’s it all look like to you in Minnesota?

JV: Well, for one, our property values have dropped by over 20% but my property taxes haven’t. Why is it that our homes are worth less and middle class Minnesotans are worth less but are property taxes aren’t coming down?

KR: I don’t know. You tell me. You were the governor.

JV: Not anymore. And I don’t miss it one bit. That’s all policy decisions at the state level. I gave taxes back when I was governor. They can’t even balance their budget and its state law to do so. You know where our taxes go?

KR: Let me guess.

JV: Well, a lot of it went to bailout out banks and the rich. During the last Great Recession or whatever you want to call it, I’ll have to quote the Wall Street protesters, the 99 percent lost money. But the rich made money. They got wealthier thanks to policies that helped them get wealthier. They didn’t get wealthier because they are smart investors.

KR: You’re right about that. Even Citi says so.

JV: You want to hear something funny about taxes?

KR: Is that a joke, like a Polish man walks into a bar?

JV: No. But it’s laughable. I’m learning to paddleboard. In Minnesota you need to get a license to paddleboard because the board is over nine feet long. So you have to pay a fee. And you have to wear a life jacket.

JV: If I showed up with a life jacket to protect me from the wake of a boat that’s maybe a foot high I’d be laughed out of the lake. This is the stuff politicians can agree on. These are the kinds of policies we the people get.

KR: They must have hated you in Minnesota. An independent who doesn’t have to raise money because getting publicity for you isn’t a problem.

JV: I’m one of the few people who actually made money as governor. I spent less money to get elected than I earned. Everyone else pays a million dollars to get paid a hundred and twenty grand. When I was governor, I was up against both parties and they vetoed me all the time. On that front they were united. They vetoed my balanced budget because they thought it would make my re-election bid less likely for the voters so they could turn to one of the two gangs again. But I didn’t run. That surprised them. And now they have around a $5 billion deficit, worse than Wisconsin.

KR: What do you think about [Wisc. governor] Scott Walker?

JV: I think he beat [Tom] Barrett because he had more money. Whoever gets the most bribe many can put the ads on TV. And now with Citizens United and SuperPACs unleashed, these groups can lie about their favorite candidate and the politician isn’t held responsible for the content. I think every politician should wear a NASCAR race suit at this point.

KR: Why’s that?

JV: You know how the NASCAR race suits all have the ads stitched on them from the driver’s sponsors? Politicians should wear that too so we can see who owns them. It’s laughable what we have turned our elections into today, where bribery is okay. We should only put candidates names on

the ballot without their party affiliation so people will have to actually know the candidate. They make it too easy today. You don’t have to know the candidate’s name. You just go in and vote for a party.

KR: What do you think of Karl Rove? Guy’s like the king of secret funding operations.

JV: I think he’s a chicken hawk. He leads from the rear, not from the front. Likes to send kids to war. Know how to tell if a war is justified? If you’re willing to send your kids to fight it. If you’re only willing to send someone else’s it’s not justified. I’m 60 years old now and we have been at war somewhere half of my adult life, and I’m not even including the war on drugs.

KR: Should we legalize drugs?

JV: Yes. The Beatles wrote the greatest album in history [Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band] high on LSD. Anna Nicole Smith died by overdosing on prescription drugs from big pharmaceutical companies. I’m not saying you legalize crack. Why not legalize marijuana. You can make biodiesel from it, and start using corn for food instead of ethanol.

KR: I was impressed with all your foot notes in the book. How long did it take you to write this thing?

JV: Four months in Mexico. I have a house down there in Baja. It’s where I can concentrate. No TV. Totally off the grid. I’m solar powered.

KR: Wow! I didn’t know that Jesse “The Body” was a pot smoking latte liberal. You probably drive a Prius.

JV: No, I drive a twin turbo Porsche 450 horse power all wheel drive six speed. I don’t even have a cell phone because when you’re driving that thing you want to concentrate on the ride.

KR: Okay. What about this: Tea Party or Occupy Wall Street?

JV: Occupy Wall Street definitely.

KR: Why?

JV: Tea Party is owned by the Koch brothers. The grassroots supporters of the Tea Party will never get what they want, unless they think lower corporate taxes and oligarchy are the answers to their prayers. Occupy is still marginally independent. I attended a Minnesota Occupy rally five different times. I handed out hand warmers. At the time, we were cheering on the Arab Spring protesters and pepper spraying our own protesters at home. Park ordinance didn’t allow them to even have generators at night to keep them warm. But there was one generator that was allowed to run, and that was the one that was powering the surveillance camera that was keeping an eye on them.

KR: Occupy seems to be weakening. They don’t have the monied interests behind them. Is the Tea Party relevant anymore?

JV: I think they are still relevant. They got a lot of people elected, but they are not the answer.[For the answers, go buy his book.]

KR: What’s your political future?

JV: None. People ask me to run again. I’d rather be surfing in Mexico for four to five months a year.

KR: That sounds much better. I think every ex-President would agree with that. Let’s change the subject. What happened with “Conspiracy Theory”? [Jesse’s show on TruTV.]

JV: Finished eight episodes in November but it ain’t on. No start date. It’s still sitting there in production at TruTV. I’ll be surprised if they even put them on. This would have been our third season.

KR: Is there a conspiracy against Jesse Ventura?

JV: I don’t know.

KR: I have to say that if someone ever told me at 15 that I would one day be talking to Jesse “The Body” Ventura, I wouldn’t believe it. Wrestlemania was a show!

JV: I did six of ‘em. Man, that was a long time ago.

KR: [starts to crack up with childhood memories] I remember one Wrestlemania, you’re on the floor giving play by play with Bobby “the Brain” Heenon and there’s “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan with his two-by-four in the air, his tongue hanging out, looking like a mess [Jesse starts to remember, starts

to laugh] and you’re like, ‘Look at that guy, just look at that snot hanging out of his nose.’ The way you emphasized the word ‘snot’. It was hilarious to every teenage and tweenage boy in America. Me and my brother are still talking about it and we’re in our thirties.

JV: Vince McMahon [the brains behind the World Wrestling Federation, as if any reader didn’t know that] was the P.T. Barnum of the century. Hey, one time I went back stage and was telling Koko B. Ware the stuff I was going to say about him during the show. I did that all the time so the wrestlers wouldn’t get upset. We were all friends, ya know. So I say on the air that the B in his name stood for Buckwheat, because he was Buckwheat’s grandson. And I got in trouble for that. That was the first time I was really ever censored for saying something like that and ironically, Eddie

Murphy was doing his Buckwheat character on Saturday Night Live and Buckwheat was on the earliest show to ever showcase a racially diverse neighborhood, but it came from a white guy so it was banned and I was scolded for it.

KR: Oh well, live and learn.

JV: I hope Americans learn. I’ve been telling them this about their government for the past 10 years.

KR: You’re not alone. I think it’s clicking in now.

JV: Yeah. I think you’re right.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

If the state of Minnesota having a 5 billion debt has them squealing over there like little girls, just think how a country a fraction the size like Malaysia with so many times the population has over half a trillion in debt would do.

USA : 9.830,000 million square kilometers (debt 15 Trillion) 30 times more debt with a population/land ratio 10 times less crowded (larger distributable land base which politicians have selfishly not effected)

Malaysia : 0.329,758 million square kilometers (debt 0.5 Trillion) 30 times less debt but 30 times smaller with a population/land ratio 3 times more crowded (smaller distributable land base which politicians have selfishly not effected)

Malaysia is as deep in debt and doing far worse than USA by a size to population ratio consideration, and guess who the 1% ters are? Run for election as president Jesse. Somehow the people around the world are too stupid or afraid to consider private candidacy, these hegelian dialectic (http://dont-tread-on.me/?tag=hegelian-dialectic) idiots have made independent thought impossible and since you are well placed with sufrficient cash to at least make the attempt through an internet campaign at least, how about giving 3rds Force a REAL voice in USA to inspire the rest of the pond scum nepotist oligarch, plutocrat term limitless politician run world? Obama was a great image man, but I think policy wise the whole Obama in White House thing not really working . . . and if Romney comes into power the collusion will be unbelievable much like how a mere Mayor (looks TERM LIMITLESS to me . . . ), Mayor Bloomberg is worth 20 billion . . . (thats 50,000 401Ks for 1 person, while homeless and starving abound in NY . . . ) Finally get USA to implement TERM LIMITS on all levels of government, I don’t think there is a need to explain why, someone has to set an example against cults of personality and against seat hogging oligarchs to the 3rd World.

This one is inspired by the Egyptian ‘quandry’ over lack of choices in June 2012. Don’t complain about lack of choice, and MAKE CHOICES. Just run for candidacy against the bad candidates.

Earlier this week, I noted the fact that while President Obama has chosen not to visit Israel since taking office even when visiting the Middle East, Russia’s Vladimir Putin will be making his second trip to the Jewish state this month. The fact that Obama is still so resentful of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he couldn’t bring himself to go to Jerusalem even when it would clearly be in his political interests to do so, while Putin thinks it is good politics to go there, struck me as interesting. But our friends at the Forward have a very different take on the story. In an editorial published this week, they think it is wrong for Israel to receive Putin and urge it to cancel the visit.

In assessing this position, we need to start by saying this is the sort of editorial that explains why there is a difference between government and journalism. In seizing the moral high ground on Putin, the Forward editorialist is taking a stand that no Israeli government, no matter how righteous or devoted to the cause of human rights in Russia, Syria and Iran it might be, can possibly take. Israel has enough enemies without picking a fight with Putin even the United States would be wary of starting. This is the sort of unrealistic moral preening that we journalists love to indulge in. There is also the fact that the Forward, whose idolatry of Barack Obama seems to be boundless, has been noticeably quiet in expressing criticism of the administration’s desire for a “reset” with Putin or his appeasement of Russia on a number of different fronts.

But having said that, I’m prepared to concede the editorial has a point, especially with regard to the egregious praise of Putin on the part of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and that the question of how moral Israel’s foreign policy should be is not solely a matter for idle journalistic posturing.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Different gist when I heard that. And Israel is making way too much fuss and has not kept the UN bargain to letter (at least till 26th June 2012, see article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/world/middleeast/jewish-settlers-begin-evacuation-of-ulpana.html?pagewanted=all) to be considered a writer of moral foreign policy. USA’s reins are slipping here, and if USA cannot clean up in the Middle East, there is no way USA can take on Russia, conventionally at any rate. They will be using all kinds of unpleasant wave form or satellite brain frying or partial access weather tech they have now with a M.A.D. scenario occuring immensely harmful to everyone.

Iran alone can overrun Israel. And Israel probably would be the very nation that destroys the planet and the human race by firing nukes and irradiating everything in a panic when overrun. Iran has stated they won’t use nukes knowing they can overrun Israel, but Israel being no match for Iran conventionally, will have to drag USA and Russia into a 3rd World War if not fire those Israeli nukes and irradiate everything. The Middle East will wilt away in the first year, the rest of the world in less than 10, and this is on top of what Fukushima already released at a magnitude 100s of times worse than Chernobyl . . .

The Israeli citizens not in Israel’s parliament had better vote very wisely with the possibility of the M.A.D. scenario in mind. In fact if I were USA or even Russia, I’d start assassinating any nuke trigger happy types in either Israel or Iran. The radioactivity of the new Uranium Nukes they have will make Hiroshima H-bomb and Nagsaki H-bomb look like toys and can kill everything on the planet (unless specifically H-Bombs and NEVER anything heavier are used ONLY) on a scale 100s of times worse than Chernobyl.

That is what the Uranium Nukes are like. Just 1 Uranium Nuke is enough to finish off most weaker ecosystems and destroy all neighbouring areas for 1000s of miles in radius. Does that not justify ending use of nukes larger than H-Bombs? Use of conventionals is acceptable but nukes, especially Uranium nukes, is just end game for everything on the planet. Does the EU or AU or USA know this, even as they are stuck in the Middle East? Begin that initiative to ban ALL nuclear weapons.

Anyone who imagines that Israel can attack Iran and not unleash another world war must be mad. Pray pause and think.

I know that if the world weren’t half-full of madcaps we wouldn’t have had the first two world wars in the first place. Both were touted as ‘wars that would end the world’ but they were essentially European, with Japan thrown into the second and most of the rest of the world in bondage to European powers drafted in, not really knowing what they were fighting, killing and dying for who and why. For King and country? Which King? Which country? Not theirs, surely? That was the lot of the Indian. Not so Iran, which was not enslaved and never was. Herein lies the essential difference in mental makeup, not in being Shia or Sunni.

But the next world war could truly bring Armageddon. It would be the end, if not of the world, if not of humankind, then certainly of contemporary civilization. Khatam shud. That includes Israel, which ironically would have started the war to protect itself. It would not be the first time that our brother Jews would have brought destruction down upon themselves. But I’m sure of one thing: the Jews may be anything but they are one people who are not crazy. Going by the record, they are the most intelligent people on earth, so intelligent that they often are too intelligent for their own good.

“Good,” some would say. “I want to get off this ship of fools. Let’s begin all over again.” That’s easy to say in the comfort of your armchair, but not so easy when you see your child’s skin peeling off before your eyes because of heat and radiation.

So what do we do? Give Israel what it wants? Not a bit of it. Think it through. Try and understand why Israel and its supporters (I use the word ‘supporters’ tongue in cheek) are fanning the flames of war and fomenting hysteria. Gauge what they really want, and then, if you can, outsmart them. Beat them at their own game. Not so easy, but if there is any Muslim country capable of doing this, the only one is Iran. The rest are…best not to say it. Or should I? The rest are largely regional general managers in America’s global scheme of things. Those few who are not are despots at the very least. Look at Assad the Tyrant of Syria and what he won’t do, how many of his own brothers, sisters and children he won’t kill just to cling to power. He should visit his despotic father Hafiz the Tyrant’s grave sometimes and see whether the can detect a throne there. He will find it not there but under his own derriere. Soon, someone else’s derriere will be on it. And his derriere will be gone.

It was Netanyahu’s speech in Washington that set the cat amongst the pigeons. It fell just short of a declaration of war. There is still a ‘window of opportunity’ open for an attack, he said, but fast for it would close soon and Iran would have passed the nuclear threshold. Time was of the essence, not to be wasted contemplating one’s navel. Israel didn’t need anyone’s blessings and would go it alone if need be. But as Tuco said, “When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” With Netanyahu speaking so much, I doubt if he really intends to shoot. Soothing of feathers started in earnest. Kick the can down the road, at least until the US presidential elections and hope that better sense would prevail thereafter.

But then Israeli President Shimon Peres added to the hysteria by letting off in the same vein, that sanctions were only the first option. If they didn’t work all other options were still on the table, including a military strike. Echoes of Osirak, what?

Why don’t I think Iran will be attacked, either by Israel or America? Here are some reasons.

1. My analysis is rationality based. Ruling is ruthless, often bereft of rationality. Look at it objectively and you can only see losers in this conflict, no winners. Not one.

2. Obama is up for re-election this November. Here he is trying to get out of the two brainless wars his predecessor got him into, would he want to get or sucked into a much bigger one?

3. America and Europe’s economies are fragile. Truthfully, the world economy is fragile. Closing the Straits of Hormuz is easy for Iran, despite America’s fabled armada going up and down watery hills in the Arabian Gulf, like the Duke of York. They should recall the even more fabled Spanish Armada. When the price of oil goes up appreciably, which it most certainly will, the world economy will collapse. There’s no two ways about it. Would anyone in his right mind want that? The question is: are rulers in their right minds all the time? Types like us would be done and dusted, which is most of the world. India’s growth, already sputtering, will take a giant leap backward. China’s growth will stall. Humanity will go into wretchedness never before seen, not even in pre-biblical times.

4. Whatever destruction it might cause, Israel too will get destroyed in the process. Attacking Iran would be suicidal. Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas at the very least would jump into the fray. So might other Muslim countries, especially if their people rise in support, forgetting historic Shia and Sunni cleavages for the moment. It certainly would spell the end of many manufactured post-World Wars and post-colonial states.

5. Worse, whether it likes it or not, and regardless of the noises it is making, America would also have to jump into the fray, not just because of the inordinate pressure brought to bear on it by ‘The Jewish Lobby’ and AIPAC, but more because it would be eying who gets control of the oilfields of the Arabian Gulf and the Caspian Basin once the region starts unraveling. There is no gainsaying that Russia and energy starved China would not want a piece of the action. Even energy-starved India might madly imagine that it can also grab some of the booty. In that unlikely event, what adventure do you think Pakistan might get into? Even China might advise us to. Sounds like the Mad Hatter talking right now, I agree, but it won’t sound so mad when history comes to be written.

The foregoing begs the question: then why all this sabre rattling? It’s about applying pressure on:

1. America to side even more with Israel.

2. Russia and China to talk to Iran to make it come under international oversight, just as Pakistan is perennially being asked to. They are the only countries Iran might pay heed to.

3. The threat of the destruction that an attack on Iran would wreak could actually prevent a war and bring Iran to where Israel feels safe.

4. An US president driven by election fever would bend over backwards to placate Israel if he wants to win.

On the other hand, you just don’t know. Madness comes without giving notice. It doesn’t take an appointment. The rationale of rulers is different from the rationale of normal people. Often driven by imaginary demons, the confidence they exude is frequently hubris. They are so certain of their technology, their satellites, their listening and watching devices and their fearsome computer driven gizmos of mass destruction, that logic and rationality often desert them. That is how empires, superpowers and civilizations end and new ones begin. These are social super novae.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The war to end all wars (resulting in a Pax Belum?) will be waged either by mass produced ROBOTS (watch Robocop 1,2 and 3) and drones flooding the streets, OR via nanotech implants being hacked by opposing groups. Lets hope a sufficiently Multipolar World can keep all the warmongers fearful for their backs AND that Anonymous type groups (if this one is not contrived) are ready with the ‘nanotech brain-implant’ nullifying equipment and have sufficient sea or air based mobility to keep the people on land safe. Nukes are the lazy way and don’t benefit anyone except those ready with anti-radioactive equipment and bunkers or mobile bases to last 50,000 years – which means prohibitive costs and virtual bunker living for 1000 generations with strict population controls.

If the chemical/bioterrorism type weapons are used, only smaller and the most adaptive lifeforms will survive along with any ‘prepared’ with bio-filters, clean water reserves though species diversity will suffer tremendously. Or if the nanotech paradigm is used (the so-called chemtrails could very well be nanotech being scattered . . . grey goo scenarios will leave earth bereft of life and a wasteland filled with self replicating microscopic machines that could make Earth a quarantine planet if not a deadly death trap (watch Mission to Mars ( 2000, Brian De Palma) and note the ‘nematodes’ depicted in CGI – those ‘nematodes’ if MACHINE based AND made of metal etc, will be quite impossible to deal with short of LITERAL scorched earth policy – and being so small these nanotech things could probably survive carpet bombing as well, so DON”T use nanotech , the self replicating microscopic machine (grey goo) is even WORSE (impossible to clean up) than the 50,000 year ‘nukular’ winter . . . and the next generation of sentient life on this planet called Earth will likely be smaller than microscopic . . .

ARTICLE 2

President of Bolivia Insists in Legalization of Use of Coca Leaves

Kawther Salam, VIENNA, 12 March 2012. At the opening of the 55th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) which is meeting in Vienna from 12 to 16 March, the President of Bolivia, Mr. Evo Morales Ayma, asked the international community to assist his country in correcting a historical error that was committed against the Bolivian people when the government of dictator Banzer ratified the International Convention Against Narcotic Drugs of 1961 without reservations. He explained that his Government is vigorously combating cocaine trafficking and has destroyed tons of the drug. He said that his country needs more international assistance to combat the scourge, particularly equipment and technology.

However, Bolivia has decided to “denounce” (withdraw from) the 1961 Single Convention on Illicit Drugs in order to “correct the historic error” concerning the indigenous uses of the coca leaf and the stigmatization of the Coca plant. Bolivia will re-accede to the Convention but this time including a reservation allowing the traditional consumption of coca leaf, which is a tradition which his people has kept for thousands of years, he said.

President Morales stated: “I want to stress that at no time Bolivia has acted untimely or irresponsibly. Instead, our request for re-accession to the treaty with reservation seeks to normalize our relations with the convention and the institutional mechanisms that result from it, including the INCB (International Narcotics Control Board) so that international cooperation and the country can focus on substance, on what is important, ie. on the progress and challenges related to the fight against drug trafficking”.

The Opening Session was attending by several hundreds of diplomats and high government officials from many countries. Among them was the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales Ayma, the Vice President of Honduras, the Vice Minister in the Ministry of Narcotics Control of Pakistan, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, Ruth Dreifuss, the former President of Switzerland, Victor Hugo Barnica, the Counter Narcotics Minister of Afghanistan, Zarar Ahmad Moqbel-Osmani, the Justice Minister of Brazil, Jose Eduardo Cardozo, the Interior Minister of Iran, Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, the Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office of Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Soubanh Srithirath, the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Health of Spain, Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, and the Counter Narcotics heads of the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Peru, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Germany and France amongst others. Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand will also be attending the CND.

UN Drugs Chief Calls for Stronger Cooperation Frameworks and Attention to Health as Way Forward for International Drugs Policy

UNIS -Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said during the opening session: “We face a transnational threat of extraordinary proportions that amounts to US$320 billion or some 0.5 per cent of global GDP”.

He added: stronger regional cooperation networks are vital for confronting the threat of illicit drugs. Fedotov stressed, Ministers and anti-drug officials from the 53 CND Member States will consider issues of concern, including the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes and preventing the diversion of chemicals for the manufacture of illicit drugs. The CND is the central policy-making body within the United Nations system dealing with illicit drugs.

The Executive Director urged States to intensify prevention strategies as part of a comprehensive response to drug demand, supply and trafficking. “At present, the balance between our work on the supply and demand sides stays firmly in favour of the supply side. We must restore the balance. Prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, reintegration and health have to be recognized as key elements in our strategy,” he said. “Overall, our work on the treatment side must be considered as part of the normal clinical work undertaken when responding to any other disease in the health system.”

Mr. Fedotov exhorted States to recognize that drug dependence was an illness; evidence shows that treatment is more effective than repression in addressing a public health challenge that takes some 250,000 lives annually. He noted that children were vulnerable to the effects of drugs and to protect them it was important to use family-based prevention methods.

In this, the centenary of the signing of the International Opium Convention in 1912, the first legal instrument on drug control, the Executive Director said it was important to recognize the gains made over that time but more needed to be done. He said the international drugs conventions provided the best way to mitigate the negative effects of illicit drugs on individuals and communities, while ensuring that those in need can obtain life-saving medications.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Coca Leaf Gum or Pastilles would be a Pepsi/Cola challenging product that would sweep the world by storm! Remember you read this idea here first, this idea is for Bolivia State to copyright, not some Western firm . . . Coca infused sweets, chocolates and cakes perhaps as well?

Coca Leaf Pastilles . . .

ARTICLE 3

Narco-Tyranny in a Tiny Town: Covington, Texas Police Chief Arrested; Residents “Scared to Death” of Police Retaliation – Posted on 09 March 2012 by William Grigg – UPDATE, March 10: Chief Laurence was fired by the Covington City Council during its March 9 meeting.

Wade Laurence, Chief of Police in a minuscule town called Covington, Texas, has been arrested by the Texas Rangers and charged with using a fraudulent prescription to obtain controlled substances, a third degree felony. With the Chief free on $20,000 bail, the City Council is planning to meet this evening (March 9), reportedly to consider disbanding the police force. Under Wade’s direction, the Covington PD has carried out what some residents of the town — including former members of the police force — describe as something akin to a reign of terror. In addition to fraudulently procuring prescription medications, Laurence has been accused of involvement in dealing drugs to local schoolchildren and illegal diversion of confiscated marijuana.

“They are scared to death now,” says City Council member Martha Smith. “They lock their doors, they lock their car doors because they are scared of the police.”

A report filed with the Texas Rangers by Officer Kayla Richardson (who provided a copy to Republic) describes how Wade — at the time a sergeant in the Covington PD — engineered the removal of Chief Dowell Missildine about a year ago. This happened after Chief Missildine began investigating Wade’s suspected theft of hydrocodone pills (a controlled substance) from the department’s evidence locker.

In his own report to the Rangers, Missildine relates how Wade had “asked me at one time if he could have Dr. [Petros] Chapanos fill some prescriptions in my name” for hydrocodone “because he stated that he accidentally threw his prescription in the trash…. I told Wade that I did not think he would do that because it was illegal.” Missildine later documented that Wade had indeed used the Chief’s prescription to obtain both hyrdocodone and Cialis. (Copies of those documents were provided to Republic as well).

Missildine recalled that he and Officer Richardson “had several conversations and she told me that [citizens] were complaining about drug activity and allegations of officers selling drugs to school kids and wanting her to do something about it. I told her I knew of most of the situations she was telling me about because of citizens contacting me also.” Last October, after Wade had forced out Missildine and replaced him as Chief, Richardson — who was still on the force — told him that “she was afraid for her life and that she felt they [Wade and his allies on the police force] were going to set her up on a traffic stop and have her killed because of information she was aware of in reference to the hydrocodone case.”

Shortly thereafter, Officer Richardson was also purged from the police force. She was not the only resident of the 250-person town — located a short distance south of Forth Worth — who is afraid of potentially lethal reprisals from the police.

“I’m scared people are going to start shooting me,” Covington-area resident Tracey Baccus told Republic. Baccus, who runs a sewer service company, volunteers in local sports leagues as a coach and umpire. Roughly a year ago he became concerned when he noticed that a number of kids displayed the symptoms of drug use.

“Kids began to tell me that stuff was being sold to them by the police,” Baccus recounted to Republic. “They said the police had assured them, `It’s not drugs, it’s prescription meds — and they’re legal.’” The supposedly innocuous “meds” included what Baccus described as “military-grade” Xanax. He contacted Missildine with his concerns.

“We talked to DEA; we talked to everybody,” he recalls. “I told Kayla [Richardson], and they took care of her. They even arrested her boyfriend in a City Council meeting.”

Retaliation: Shelby arrested at Covington City Council meeting

Richardson’s fiance, Clifton Shelby, was arrested during the same City Council meeting in which she appealed her termination.To justify this transparent act of retaliation, Chief Wade filed a complaint charging Shelby with “assault with a deadly weapon” for an incident on a local highway several weeks earlier that didn’t involve a collision: As Shelby, who was driving his truck, passed Wade’s Corvette on the wet and slippery road, he momentarily swerved into the other lane. Although Wade confronted Shelby at the side of the road, he didn’t write a citation or file a complaint until much later — when it offered him an opportunity to humiliate both Richardson and Shelby by dragging him from a public meeting in handcuffs.

The threats and retaliatory harassment have only escalated since then. Former Fire Chief George Burnett*, who circulated a petition calling to disband the police department, was also threatened by Chief Wade.

“The police chief and three other of his police came down and were raising Cain about me getting this petition signed,” Burnett told Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA. “They said I was raising a lot of trouble in town.”

Council member Martha Smith, 69, was threatened with arrest when she visited the municipal office to request copies of the official minutes for the years 2005-2007.

After Smith made her request, the town clerk, Courtney Childress — Wade’s girlfriend — “said that she wanted to talk to me,” Smith informed Republic. The two went to a back room where Childress indignantly told Smith that “CPS had been called and were trying to get custody of her son.” Smith, who had not called CPS on anybody, was puzzled by Childress’s behavior, which was aggressive and confrontational. “It seemed like she was trying to provoke me,” Smith related — an impression that was fortified when Wade and a Covington PD Detective named Andy Montgomery suddenly flanked Childress.

By this time, according to Smith, “I’d already put my hands behind my back.” However, hauling away a 69-year-old female City Council member would require some evidence of a crime, and Smith hadn’t provided any. She was allowed to leave — only to experience another shock when she went home.

“My 16-year-old foster son told me that a girl at school that day said that I was supposed to be arrested,” Smith reports. “It seems pretty clear that they were trying to set me up, and that if I had even touched her [Childress], they planned to take me to jail.”

This wasn’t the only threat Smith has endured.

“I was told that if I talked to the Texas Rangers [about Wade and his associates on the force] they would find some way to frame me or my family for drug trafficking,” Smith told Republic. “They said things such as, `We know who your grandkids are buying and selling from.’ I asked them, `You want to have them tested?’ I know they’re not doing anything like that.”

Threats having failed to silence Smith, somebody apparently decided to try a different approach: Sometime during the evening of March 1, the rear windshield of her SUV was vandalized. Both Smith and Scott Parker — another former police officer — told Republic that this took place on a night when Smith’s home was kept under constant scrutiny by officers driving “blacked-out” Covington SUVs.

Three Covington residents — including two former police officers — suspect that Wade and an ally on the police force are improperly shipping controlled substances, out of state. A “Transport Notice” issued last September (a copy of which was provided to Republic) announced that Detective Montgomery — who, along with Chief Wade, threatened Council member Martha Smith — planned to carry drug paraphernalia “to K-9 trainer Marcus Rynak” in Sterling, Colorado. Sources close to the Covington PD claim that a large amount of confiscated marijuana that should have been shipped to a Texas Department of Public Safety facility in Waco have been illegally diverted to Colorado.

Covington is one of several Texas communities that are dealing with drug-related municipal corruption:

*As Republic previously reported, Constable Fred Walker of Texas’s Shelby County allegedly ordered the illegal bugging of municipal officials in the village of Tenaha, which has been at the center of a multi-million-dollar drug asset forfeiture scam. Those charges were made in an affidavit filed by Roderette McClure, who was arrested last fall for breaking into the offices at Walker’s direction. McClure, who on February 14 pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, told FBI investigators that Constable Walker “had him install surveillance cameras disguised as smoke detectors and hidden voice-activated digital recording equipment in the offices of Tenana Mayor George Boyers and deputy city marshal Barry Washington,” reports the AP. “Walker said he wanted to `cover’ himself over the traffic stops, most of which were conducted by Washington….”

According to McClure’s affidavit, he and Walker ran a drug trafficking ring when Walker was City Marshal. They eventually embezzled roughly 500 pounds in contraband – including marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy and hydrocone – from the Tenaha City Marshal’s office evidence room. In November 2010, the pair received an extortion threat from someone identifying himself as “Jack Frost” who said he was aware that Walker and McClure were stealing confiscated drugs and selling them. This led them to “stage a burglary as a cover for the missing drugs” – and then to install the listening devices in city office buildings in order to find out who was aware the City Marshall was moonlighting as a drug lord.

*In late February, Willie Gandara, Jr., a Commissioner in El Paso County, was arrested as part of a multi-jurisdictional investigation into drug trafficking.The five-count federal indictment accuses Gandara – referred to in the document by the pseudonym “Godfather” — of possessing 110 pounds of marijuana and operating a so-called “stash house” for drug traffickers.

Last September, Willie Gandara, Jr., a County Commissioner in Texas’ El Paso County, assailed what he called “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who opposed the war on drugs. Such people, Gandara told the El Paso Times, are acting on an “ulterior motive.” Legalizing drugs, insisted Commissioner Gandara, is a coward’s approach to a social problem, as well as “an insult to our men and women in law enforcement, and the laziest form of parenting our children and youth about the effects of drugs.”

Gandara directed those remarks at aspiring legislative candidate Beto O’Rourke, who has advocated legalization of marijuana as a way of reducing the profits accumulated by Mexican drug cartels. The cartels have benefited enormously from drug prohibition, which amounts to a huge price support program for some of the most vicious criminal personalities in human history.

If the charges against Gandara are true, it’s likely that his attacks on drug war critics were inspired by a desire to preserve his illicit profits.

Shortly before Chief Laurence was arrested, Republic magazine made repeated efforts to contact him to respond to allegations that he — like Constable Walker and Commissioner Gandara — was playing both sides of the “War on Drugs.” He declined to answer our requests for information.

“I was proud to be a police officer, but I can understand why people in Covington are afraid of the police force and want to see it disbanded now,” Kayla Richardson lamented to Republic. “The police should be protecting people’s rights, not intimidating and threatening them.”

Go here for more coverage of events in Covington.

*The original version of this story incorrectly identified Mr. Burnett as the “Covington Fire Chief.” As he explains in a comment below, he’s not currently a fire chief, and the fire department is not part of Covington’s municipal government. I regret the error, and appreciate Mr. Burnett’s correction. — WNG

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Implement citizen privilege access prohibitions alongside allowing ANY and ALL drugs – but instead of jail or fines, discourage in the manner of removal of citizen privileges below :

BEGINS USE OF TYPE OF DRUGS AT AGE :

Synthetics and Organics 60+ May not drive, Barred from operating heavy machinery or joining army. May stand for election, reason being they just started and a 2 term stint in government will not be long enough for any organics to really cause any damage, especially if use is not excessive
Required psyche/cognition tests every 2 years / once above 70, checks every year

Organics Only 35 and below Barred from operating heavy machinery or joining army, May not stand for election
Requires psyche/cognition tests every 1 year after age 60, once above 75, checks every yearOrganics Only 21 and below Barred from operating heavy machinery or joining army, May not stand for election, Barred from health insurance
Requires psyche/cognition tests every 3 years after age 45, once above 60, checks every year

Synthetics 35 and below May not drive, Barred from operating heavy machinery or joining army, May not stand for election, Barred from insurance, Barred from Credit Card use
Barred from voting ON issues related to drug use. Requires psyche/cognition tests every 3 years, once above 45, checks every yearSynthetics 18 and below May not drive, Barred from operating heavy machinery or joining army, May not stand for election, Barred from insurance, Barred from Credit Card use
Barred from voting ON issues related to drug use. Required psyche/cognition tests every 3 years / once above 35, checks every year

This will ensure tax payer savings from the prison system, and ensure the competence of the 2 term political sphere and the military as well. Drugs are only to be distributed by licensed dealers who will run outlets in a normal business format and are to be sold at extremely controlled prices (no more than $1) so that profiteering cannot occur and criminal elements will leave the product alone.

As for Covington if the town had instituted legal and price controlled drugs, nothing would have gone wrong as the profit margins would rendered drugs useless as a profit item.

ARTICLE 3.5

Bobcat Goldthwait as Zed in Police Academy 3 and the Synthetic Drug Problem – original mini-article by @AgreeToDisagree – posted on 16th March 2012

Anyone organic-twitchy (for ‘organic casting’, much like blacking up a white actor to play a black actor is offensive – actual meth addicts who are still functional enough while sufficiently twitchy can be given real roles, not actors playing the part, God knows the ’cause’ and heightened awareness of the serious problems of synthetics could be better highlighted this way) enough to taking over Zed’s type of role?

Despite the harm of synthetics, we must remember Voltaire and put practice into the philospher’s words – fight for the right to freedom of expression INCLUDING to fight for their right to a choice of a slow and painful suicide by synthetics. But before a synthetics poisoned person becomes too ill to take care of themselves, either have a conversation with the person for permission to put them down humanely before they become a burden to the health system, or send them to the frontlines with a suicide belt! Consensually of course . . . (this is your reverse psychology warning against synthetic drug use for the day . . . )

Children of the Revolution – China’s ‘princelings,’ the offspring of the communist party elite, are embracing the trappings of wealth and privilege—raising uncomfortable questions for their elders. – By JEREMY PAGE

One evening early this year, a red Ferrari pulled up at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in Beijing, and the son of one of China’s top leaders stepped out, dressed in a tuxedo.

Bo Xilai, with his son, at a memorial ceremony held for his father in Beijing, in 2007.

Grandfather, Bo Yibo — Helped lead Mao’s forces to victory, only to be purged in the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. Subsequently rehabilitated.

Father, Bo Xilai — Party secretary of Chongqing and Politburo member, likely to rise to the Politburo standing committee in 2012.

Bo Guagua, 23, was expected. He had a dinner appointment with a daughter of the then-ambassador, Jon Huntsman.

The car, though, was a surprise. The driver’s father, Bo Xilai, was in the midst of a controversial campaign to revive the spirit of Mao Zedong through mass renditions of old revolutionary anthems, known as “red singing.” He had ordered students and officials to work stints on farms to reconnect with the countryside. His son, meanwhile, was driving a car worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and as red as the Chinese flag, in a country where the average household income last year was about $3,300.

The episode, related by several people familiar with it, is symptomatic of a challenge facing the Chinese Communist Party as it tries to maintain its legitimacy in an increasingly diverse, well-informed and demanding society. The offspring of party leaders, often called “princelings,” are becoming more conspicuous, through both their expanding business interests and their evident appetite for luxury, at a time when public anger is rising over reports of official corruption and abuse of power.
A Family Affair

A look at China’s leaders, past and present, and their offspring, often known as ‘princelings.’

State-controlled media portray China’s leaders as living by the austere Communist values they publicly espouse. But as scions of the political aristocracy carve out lucrative roles in business and embrace the trappings of wealth, their increasingly high profile is raising uncomfortable questions for a party that justifies its monopoly on power by pointing to its origins as a movement of workers and peasants.

Their visibility has particular resonance as the country approaches a once-a-decade leadership change next year, when several older princelings are expected to take the Communist Party’s top positions. That prospect has led some in Chinese business and political circles to wonder whether the party will be dominated for the next decade by a group of elite families who already control large chunks of the world’s second-biggest economy and wield considerable influence in the military.

“There’s no ambiguity—the trend has become so clear,” said Cheng Li, an expert on Chinese elite politics at the Brookings Institution in Washington. “Princelings were never popular, but now they’ve become so politically powerful, there’s some serious concern about the legitimacy of the ‘Red Nobility.’ The Chinese public is particularly resentful about the princelings’ control of both political power and economic wealth.”

The current leadership includes some princelings, but they are counterbalanced by a rival nonhereditary group that includes President Hu Jintao, also the party chief, and Premier Wen Jiabao. Mr. Hu’s successor, however, is expected to be Xi Jinping, the current vice president, who is the son of a revolutionary hero and would be the first princeling to take the country’s top jobs. Many experts on Chinese politics believe that he has forged an informal alliance with several other princelings who are candidates for promotion.

Among them is the senior Mr. Bo, who is also the son of a revolutionary leader. He often speaks of his close ties to the Xi family, according to two people who regularly meet him. Mr. Xi’s daughter is currently an undergraduate at Harvard, where Mr. Bo’s son is a graduate student at the Kennedy School of Government.

“Princelings were never popular, but now … there’s some serious concern about the legitimacy of the ‘Red Nobility.’ ”

Already in the 25-member Politburo, Bo Xilai is a front-runner for promotion to its top decision-making body, the Standing Committee. He didn’t respond to a request for comment through his office, and his son didn’t respond to requests via email and friends.

The antics of some officials’ children have become a hot topic on the Internet in China, especially among users of Twitter-like micro-blogs, which are harder for Web censors to monitor and block because they move so fast. In September, Internet users revealed that the 15-year-old son of a general was one of two young men who crashed a BMW into another car in Beijing and then beat up its occupants, warning onlookers not to call police.

An uproar ensued, and the general’s son has now been sent to a police correctional facility for a year, state media report.

Top Chinese leaders aren’t supposed to have either inherited wealth or business careers to supplement their modest salaries, thought to be around 140,000 yuan ($22,000) a year for a minister. Their relatives are allowed to conduct business as long as they don’t profit from their political connections. In practice, the origins of the families’ riches are often impossible to trace.

Last year, Chinese learned via the Internet that the son of a former vice president of the country—and the grandson of a former Red Army commander—had purchased a $32.4 million harbor-front mansion in Australia. He applied for a permit to tear down the century-old mansion and to build a new villa, featuring two swimming pools connected by a waterfall. (See related article.)

BO XILAI waves a Chinese flag during a concert with revolutionary songs in Chongqing on June 29.

Many princelings engage in legitimate business, but there is a widespread perception in China that they have an unfair advantage in an economic system that, despite the country’s embrace of capitalism, is still dominated by the state and allows no meaningful public scrutiny of decision making.

The state owns all urban land and strategic industries, as well as banks, which dole out loans overwhelmingly to state-run companies. The big spoils thus go to political insiders who can leverage personal connections and family prestige to secure resources, and then mobilize the same networks to protect them.

The People’s Daily, the party mouthpiece, acknowledged the issue last year, with a poll showing that 91% of respondents believed all rich families in China had political backgrounds. A former Chinese auditor general, Li Jinhua, wrote in an online forum that the wealth of officials’ family members “is what the public is most dissatisfied about.”

One princeling disputes the notion that she and her peers benefit from their “red” backgrounds. “Being from a famous government family doesn’t get me cheaper rent or special bank financing or any government contracts,” Ye Mingzi, a 32-year-old fashion designer and granddaughter of a Red Army founder, said in an email. “In reality,” she said, “the children of major government families get very high scrutiny. Most are very careful to avoid even the appearance of improper favoritism.”

For the first few decades after Mao’s 1949 revolution, the children of Communist chieftains were largely out of sight, growing up in walled compounds and attending elite schools such as the Beijing No. 4 Boys’ High School, where the elder Mr. Bo and several other current leaders studied.

In the 1980s and ’90s, many princelings went abroad for postgraduate studies, then often joined Chinese state companies, government bodies or foreign investment banks. But they mostly maintained a very low profile.

Now, families of China’s leaders send their offspring overseas ever younger, often to top private schools in the U.S., Britain and Switzerland, to make sure they can later enter the best Western universities. Princelings in their 20s, 30s and 40s increasingly take prominent positions in commerce, especially in private equity, which allows them to maximize their profits and also brings them into regular contact with the Chinese and international business elite.

In 2008, Bo Guagua invited Jackie Chan to lecture at Oxford—and sang with him on stage at one point.

Younger princelings are often seen among the models, actors and sports stars who gather at a strip of nightclubs by the Workers’ Stadium in Beijing to show off Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Maseratis. Others have been spotted talking business over cigars and vintage Chinese liquor in exclusive venues such as the Maotai Club, in a historic house near the Forbidden City.

On a recent afternoon at a new polo club on Beijing’s outskirts, opened by a grandson of a former vice premier, Argentine players on imported ponies put on an exhibition match for prospective members.

“We’re bringing polo to the public. Well, not exactly the public,” said one staff member. “That man over there is the son of an army general. That one’s grandfather was mayor of Beijing.” (New anti-nepotism laws should prevent more recurances of this sort of thing . . . )

Princelings also are becoming increasingly visible abroad. Ms. Ye, a fashion designer, was featured in a recent edition of Vogue magazine alongside Wan Baobao, a jewelry designer who is the granddaughter of a former vice premier.

But it is Bo Guagua who stands out among the younger princelings. No other child of a serving Politburo member has ever had such a high profile, both at home and abroad.

His family’s status dates back to Bo Yibo, who helped lead Mao’s forces to victory, only to be purged in the 1966-76 Cultural Revolution. Bo Yibo was eventually rehabilitated, and his son, Bo Xilai, was a rising star in the party by 1987, when Bo Guagua was born.

The boy grew up in a rarefied environment—closeted in guarded compounds, ferried around in chauffeur-driven cars, schooled partly by tutors and partly at the prestigious Jingshan school in Beijing, according to friends.

In 2000, his father, by then mayor of the northeastern city of Dalian, sent his 12-year-old son to a British prep school called Papplewick, which according to its website currently charges £22,425 (about $35,000) a year.

About a year later, the boy became the first person from mainland China to attend Harrow, one of Britain’s most exclusive private schools, which according to its website currently charges £30,930 annually.

In 2006, by which time his father was China’s commerce minister, Mr. Bo went to Oxford University to study philosophy, politics and economics. The current cost of that is about £26,000 a year. His current studies at Harvard’s Kennedy School cost about $70,000 a year.

“’The children of major government families get very high scrutiny,’ says the granddaughter of a Red Army founder.”

A question raised by this prestigious overseas education, worth a total of almost $600,000 at today’s prices, is how it was paid for. Friends said that they didn’t know, though one suggested that Mr. Bo’s mother paid with the earnings of her legal career. Her law firm declined to comment.

Bo Guagua has been quoted in the Chinese media as saying that he won full scholarships from age 16 onward. Harrow, Oxford and the Kennedy School said that they couldn’t comment on an individual student.

The cost of education is a particularly hot topic among members of China’s middle class, many of whom are unhappy with the quality of schooling in China. But only the relatively rich can send their children abroad to study.

For others, it is Bo Guagua’s freewheeling lifestyle that is controversial. Photos of him at Oxford social events—in one case bare-chested, other times in a tuxedo or fancy dress—have been widely circulated online.

In 2008, Mr. Bo helped to organize something called the Silk Road Ball, which included a performance by martial-arts monks from China’s Shaolin temple, according to friends. He also invited Jackie Chan, the Chinese kung fu movie star, to lecture at Oxford, singing with him on stage at one point.

The following year, Mr. Bo was honored in London by a group called the British Chinese Youth Federation as one of “Ten Outstanding Young Chinese Persons.” He was also an adviser to Oxford Emerging Markets, a firm set up by Oxford undergraduates to explore “investment and career prospects in emerging markets,” according to its website.

This year, photos circulated online of Mr. Bo on a holiday in Tibet with another princeling, Chen Xiaodan, a young woman whose father heads the China Development Bank and whose grandfather was a renowned revolutionary. The result was a flurry of gossip, as well as criticism on the Internet of the two for evidently traveling with a police escort. Ms. Chen didn’t respond to requests for comment via email and Facebook.

A Home Fit for a Princeling : A $32.4 million harborside mansion in Sydney

Asked about his son’s apparent romance at a news conference during this year’s parliament meeting, Bo Xilai replied, enigmatically, “I think the business of the third generation—aren’t we talking about democracy now?”

Friends say that the younger Mr. Bo recently considered, but finally decided against, leaving Harvard to work on an Internet start-up called guagua.com. The domain is registered to an address in Beijing. Staff members there declined to reveal anything about the business. “It’s a secret,” said a young man who answered the door.

It is unclear what Mr. Bo will do after graduating and whether he will be able to maintain such a high profile if his father is promoted, according to friends. He said during a speech at Peking University in 2009 that he wanted to “serve the people” in culture and education, according to a Chinese newspaper, Southern Weekend.

He ruled out a political career but showed some of his father’s charisma and contradictions in answering students’ questions, according to the newspaper. Asked about the pictures of him partying at Oxford, he quoted Chairman Mao as saying “you should have a serious side and a lively side,” and went on to discuss what it meant to be one of China’s new nobility.

“Things like driving a sports car, I know British aristocrats are not that arrogant,” he said. “Real aristocrats absolutely don’t do that, but are relatively low-key.”
—Dinny McMahon contributed to this article.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

The article went, : “About a year later, the boy became the first person from mainland China to attend Harrow, one of Britain’s most exclusive private schools, which according to its website currently charges £30,930 annually.”

This is extreme WASTE. The ‘Chinese Commie Way’ would be to LEARN the skills needed to open such a private school then OPEN (perhaps an Imperial themed?) AND with Chinese architectural characteristics) the same in China offering the courses a £224.25 or £309.30 annually (this is still 10,000 to 12,000 Yuan, no small sum . . . ) – THEN be among the first crop of students attending even if 5-10 years LATE/too old for class. As for the $32.4 million dollar home, lets say that so long as ANY Chinese COMRADE citizen is homeless or lives in a hovel or shack, NOT A SINGLE APPARATCHIK HAS THE RIGHT to live in, or own a home ON FOREIGN LAND that is worth a few apartment blocks capable of housing THOUSANDS. Where is the intrepid spirit of the Long March? Marxist law China going soft, corrupt and wasteful? A corridor of development in the Eastern Coastal states makes for no more than 10% of China’s landmass, and does not prevent 90% of China’s population being looked down upon by the rest of the world from terrible lives (not starvation bad but coarse-bad) and living conditions while other so-called comrades live in luxury AND worse still, in foreign countries.

Hong Kong, China (CNN) – If you look at China’s annual National People’s Congress, now in session, you might think this country is one of the richest in the world.

The NPC’s 75 richest legislators – from a total of 3,000 – had a net worth of more than $90 billion in 2011. To put that in perspective, that’s more than half of Greece’s latest bailout of some $170 billion.

Zong Qinghou is the NPC’s richest member and China’s second-richest man, with a net worth of nearly $10.8 billion in cash and assets. If you’ve been to China, you’ve likely eaten or drunk something his company, Wahaha Group, manufactures.

The firm’s red-and-white distilled water bottles are ubiquitous – sold on the grounds of the Forbidden City in Beijing to the altitudes of the Chinese Himalayas in Tibet.

Along with food and drink, the five richest NPC legislators have shown that China’s automobile and real estate industries are the sectors in which to make billions.

For more perspective on their wealth, compare NPC’s six dozen richest members to U.S. politicians. This group earned more than the net worth of the six hundred top politicians and lawmakers of the United States.

That includes President Barack Obama, his Cabinet, the 535 members of Congress, along with nine members of the Supreme Court. Their average declared net worth in 2010 was just $4.8 billion – a pittance compared to the NPC’s $90 billion.

Even the richest person in the U.S. Congress looks a modest earner compared with the NPC’s wealth. Representative Darrell Issa of California has a maximum net worth estimated at $700 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. If he were in China’s NPC, his ranking would fall forty notches.

The NPC is not the only major political meet-up happening in Beijing right now. The CPPCC – the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – is also in full swing. The 70-odd richest legislators in this government advisory body, similar to the NPC, had a net worth of more than $100 billion in 2011.

And they’re apparently not afraid to flaunt the bling they can buy with those riches.

One legislator from an ethnic minority, often poorer than their Han Chinese counterparts, clutched an $800 Burberry handbag on the way to a CPPCC meeting this week. The Chairman of Evergrande, one of China’s biggest property companies, sported a $950 black Hermes belt – with a golden H. And another lady legislator cradled a Marc Jacobs bag on the way to this week’s work. Retail price? $10,000.

The annual per capita income for a Chinese citizen stands at about $2,400.

With images like those – which have gone viral on the web – many critics are wondering just how representative the “people’s” congress is of the people.

The answer? Perhaps not so much.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Retire all plutocrats whatever their ages, they already are rich and have no need for power (a dangerous combination). And institute a Capitalism with Socialist Caps system at USD$20 million.

Nobility with whatever privileges or privileged access (but specifically not wealth) is fine for the endowment of values and the ethos in a sea of faceless, but when their wealth is at an extreme level, they are no longer leaders but glaring symbols of excess, especially in a country that is supposed to be RED, as in Marxist red. In Marxism, the extreme wealthy, even those worth 20 million would be unacceptable (much less 100s of millions or billions) and in the 1960s-1970s the entire crop of leaders worth as much as today or even those 20 million worth would be rounded up, their wealth confiscated and sent to be re-educated if not shot. I personally advocate confiscation to a limit of 20 million with no imprisonment and not any punishment, even letting them continue their businesses BUT any profit gained above 20 million in personal asset there on, should be directed to the various redistribution or aid schemes, or simply to fund any and ALL medical treatment/education/housing at a a quantum of anything more than 10% of yearly savings payable by the patient needing medical-treatment/education/housing, these plutocrat businesses. With owners and directors or stockholders etc.. still limited to 20 million per individual – the excess profits will pay for everything else in costs that everyone else who can’t save 10% of their salaries, 1 billion people maybe cannot afford . . .

A bureaucrat should not be worth more than SME level (2-10 million), the best form being that the Bureaucat’s job is the ONLY JOB they hold not with all kinds of businesses on the side that will occupy their time instead of them looking after the nations – thats what bureaucrats are for, not to look after their businesses.

Try the Capitalism with Socialist Caps system at USD$20 million, starting with the political structure in ENTIRETY and then later society again, though not by killings, but perhaps citizen option to redistribute wealth MARXISM style or self expulsions by giving up Chinese citizenship with 3 times the ceiling – as that wealth is China’s and not to be taken away to another country. Chairman Mao would approve.

Especially those who profit from monetised debt or other shadowy non-real-goods economic manipulations must be singled out. Real goods producers can be lower on the audit list, though Quality Control looks to be a serious problem in China for non-edible goods and for edible goods, potentially a disaster dependant on the producer’s sense of scruples (Chinese manufacturer’s agriculture industrialists’ scruples are not too bad, but as the ‘factory floor’ viability of China shifts to even poorer regions, cost cutting or short cuts could create VERY SERIOUS problems – try for 100% organic and stick to that, good thing that China has already prevented GMO rice, the Chinese could be the last ‘unmutated’ (from eating GMO rice or GMO foods, mutations are possible) human beings on the planet.

At the same time, consider the issue of soft power and perhaps even the formalisation of the Royal Institution which will further educate about wealth vs. civiliational and moral values. Just look at those other Royals traipsing around creating a buzz, Oman, England, Japan etc.. China needs this sort of pathos, much like the flesh (civilisational values) without poison (material wealth) of the Fugu Puffer fish via a state formalized Noble ethos (with privileged access or certain immunities to reasonable limits) as well once extreme plutocracy is disallowed, and by the above issues the poison of Capitalism has near destroyed Japan and now infects China and has subverted many of the leaders . . .

While China may have just introduced the toughest laws against nepotism worldwide, a new problem in the form of the plutocracy (specifically plutocracy that also is in politicsand holding power to create loophole laws that can be taken advantage of – the regular plutocracy however, especially the type that produces REAL GOODS aren’t any major issue unless the Socialist Caps are refused, but the worst are the monetised debt or fiat/speculator types, as bad for China’s reputation as the plutocrat politicians, though not as dangerous . . . ) looks set to take over as the no.1. troublemaker and most ‘ethics subversive‘ danger for China’s internal political structure. The potential corruption that saw the China fall in the Opium Wars can occur again when a country with 1 billion below the poverty level, are headed by plutocrat politicians none can identify with (at least they are not nepotists as well thanks to new laws) and effectively out of touch with the reality away from the developed coastal areas.

This is already punctuated with occasional chengguan trouble or if the as West reports is true, dozens of unreported riots. If all thats needed is the dismantling of extreme wealth (leaving USD$20 million for any single family or extended family, is still an exceptional amount in China btw) to harmonise so many oppressed and impoverished in China, there will be no harm in going back to basics as in the Cultural Revolution Era (no prisons or beatings, just simple redistributions DIRECT to the worst off – I’m not talking about billionaires giving money to those upper middle class types very comfortable . . . so the outrage among billionaires themselves will not be as bad . . . ), the current state of affairs if as reported is disgraceful and Capitalist to a shameful level.

Getting married at 14 – 9 December 2010 | Save The Children | Posted by Noreen Ariff (exchange/discussion on early marriage)

News that a 22 year old school teacher had got married to a 14 year old girl has caused shockwaves in Malaysia, reverberating around the world. Recall what it was like to be 14 again, and consider if such marriages really can hold water under the law.

I still remember the 14th year of my life vividly. Every day I would wake up early in the morning to catch the morning bus to go to religious school. It lasted for 3 hours every day where afterwards I would go home and get ready to go to normal school ( this of course doesn’t mean that religious school is abnormal, I can’t think of a better description of a day school). Once in school, my friends and I would chat and chat about homework, gossiped about girls that we didn’t like and the latest boy bands that had got our fancy.

This routine continued every day for 5 days a week. Saturdays were for girl-guides and other clubs and as soon as my activities finished, I would catch a bus straight home to watch cartoons and old Malay movies on the then Singaporean Channel 5. Sundays were cartoons, 90210 and homework, lots and lots of homework. In between I would call my best friend, and we would chat and chat to our hearts content. Of course I had to help out with the household chores but let’s leave that out. In short, life was bliss. It had only one purpose: to be a kid.

My body was also changing. I had stopped wearing training bras and began using the real ones. I had gotten my period which was a bit of bother. At 14, I had only the slightest idea about sex. Sex out of wedlock is a no-no in Islam and from the medical books I read, the idea of sex actually grossed me out. I only properly learnt about the human reproduction system at 15, in science class. So at 14, I would say that I was still very awkward and blur. Did I feel and did my mum think that I was an adult just because I had breasts and was menstruating once a month? I don’t think so.

Yes, I wanted to have a boyfriend then, but at 14 marriage was the last thing on my mind. The main focus in life was to do well in school and get into a reputable university so that I can get a high-paying job, buy everything that I ever wanted, travel the world and change it. If my mum wanted to marry me off then, I would have rebelled and ran away from home because in my mind child marriages only exist in third-world countries where women were not educated, where her family had no means to support her and she had to depend on men.

I must have forgotten that Malaysia is a third-world country with third-world mentalities dominating our minds as if we had no other choice. I must have forgotten that not all parents are the same. Not all parents think that 14 year olds are kids, nor understand that having breasts and menstruation do not make these kids adults. Not all parents are patient enough to go through tough teenage years with their kids and encourage them to forget about the opposite sex for a while and stay focused on themselves and their studies.

I must have also forgotten that not all teachers are educators. I must have forgotten that once upon a time our Prophet Muhammad PBUH married Aishah, who was still a child and that is why some Muslims think it’s okay for a kid to get married. I must have forgotten that once a upon a time, Mansor Adabi a teacher of 22 years of age married Natrah, who was then 13 and our grandparents thought nothing of it.

I have forgotten that times may have changed but some minds are still trapped in the Stone Age.

I doubt Prophet Muhammed PBUH would have married Aishah if he was a prophet now and yes, I doubt Mansor Adabi and Natrah would have gotten married. The circumstances would have been different. Primary and secondary education in Malaysia now is free and available to all. Malaysian women have made it to the top echelons of organisations. I am sure these women would not be where they are right now if they had gotten married at 14. (Blesphemy! Lol, jk, but it’s a good thing Noreen is not in the worst of the Muslim world. Noreen’d be strung up and quartered, keel hauled, FGMed or whatever.)

I am appalled that after all these years there are still parents who allow their underage kids to get married and even more when their insanity is entertained by the Syariah Court who consented to these marriages. The country was just shocked by the news of the 11 year old who got married to an old man, we are now faced with news of a celebration of a 14 year old kid who got married to a 23 year old primary school teacher. The kid was quoted as saying “it’s going to be hard to juggle two roles – a student and a wife- but I’m taking it in my stride”.

I am wondering whether she fully understands what she has gotten herself into. Marriage is not about copulating and procreating alone. Everything might be rosy right now but how would she feel in a couple of years, if not months? While her friends woke up to go to school, studying or eyeing on the most good looking guy in school, she has to wake up, get the breakfast ready for her husband and after school, while others went straight to bury themselves in homework and tuition, she has to cook, wash, clean the house before night time where she has to do her wifely duties. How would she cope with pregnancy and morning sickness? She would have to miss school and probably even more after she gave birth. When her friends are burning the midnight oil for PMR and SPM, she is awake at night tending to her babies. What would she decide, if let’s say she got a place at a university that is far away from the place her husband is working. What we she do when she met a lot more men when she grew up? Would she still love her husband or resent him?

Did the Syariah Court, her parents and hubby think of all these? What are the criteria before such a marriage is allowed? Section 8 of the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984 merely states:

No marriage may be solemnized under this Act where either the man is under the age of eighteen or the woman is under the age of sixteen except where the Syariah Judge has granted his permission in writing in certain circumstances.

By this section alone, there are no guidelines or fixed criteria on what constitutes “certain circumstances”. If there were guidelines, I just hope they are not parents’ consent, ability of the future husband to support and the girl has reached puberty!

Getting married just to stop the couple from any immoral behaviour is the smallest aspect of things; parents should look into the bigger spectrum of life. Perhaps they should start by watching the movie Juno or An Education (haha)! Your 14 year old kid may be getting her periods, with breasts, stopped playing with Barbie dolls and all – but they are still kids. Parents should know that teenage girls are also easily attracted to older men who seem to know the world. If only the girls waited a little longer, they would know that they too can have the world, on their own.

If the parents can’t see the big picture, the husband, who is a 23 year old teacher, should be able to. He after all is supposed to be educated and more level-minded. Having people like him as teachers makes me wonder about the quality of people allowed to be teachers of our future generation?

Teachers are not here just to teach but they are supposed to inspire our kids to reach their fullest potential. Here we have a teacher who got involved with an underage girl and in marrying her, he had coincidentally robbed her of her childhood. Something that he probably had, how would he feel if he got married at 14? Somehow he has no qualms from robbing his wife from hers. How is this teacher going to be a role model to his students in school? What is he going to say to his students, study and get married or enjoy your school life, get a job, be the best in what you do and then settle down? If he truly loved this girl, he would wait.

If the parents were responsible parents, they would have lodged a complaint against this teacher and get him transferred and as far away as possible from their daughter. Their daughter has a right to have her childhood and if Article 5 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia means more than the right to live and includes the quality of life, then the parents, husband and the Sharia Court have clearly violated one of the most fundamental liberties of the Constitution.

It is a travesty when on the one hand rape with minors is considered statutory rape because they are under the age of consent and on the other marriages with minors are allowed. I am not saying the teacher is a paedophile but if he was, paedophiles should not be punished by allowing them to get married. Section 8 of the Islamic Family Law and any law of its kind should be repealed.

The 14 year old kid should stay a kid, no matter how much she wanted to get married; she is still a kid. There is a saying that childhood is the most beautiful of life’s seasons so do not lose it by rushing to grow up. If the parents and the guy truly loved her, they should encourage her to choose school, study, friends, gossiping with other girls about the best looking guy in their class, choose love and lost and love again, choose university, choose a career, choose independence. Do not choose marriage at the age of 14, do not make that mistake.

Choose life. Marriage at 14 is not a life.

Noreen Ariff loves being single but yes, she would like to get married…someday. She believes that people should only get married when they are mentally, emotionally and financially ready. Her LoyarBurokking here is on her own time, and her own views. They bear no reflection on the organisation she works for.

44 Responses to Getting married at 14

AgreeToDisagree
21 December 2010 – 9:16 am

hi @pointofview

Thanks for the kind word. I don’t like leaving room for misunderstanding by keeping elegantly silent or keeping people misinformed to empower myself, or to cause others to err then blame them, or give others reason to ostracise or abuse them after intentionally causing them to trip up (first hand to the N-th here), and this is the only principled way to communicate.

By being on an even playing field, though ‘stupidos’ could also be propagandists and advocates of authoritarianism via neurolinguistic programming half the time seeking to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

These mental goons probably seek to propagate acceptance of 3rd world paradigms of tasering, abusive attitudes by counter staff, abuse of citizens by enforcement, shoot-first policy, entrapment, electronic harrassment, alongside other miserable and inhuman methods to enslave and contaminate democratic principles with grey area abuses while their family Oligarchs reserve MP seats and hand down the same MP seats between their children and grandchildren or sometimes partly hidden through cosanguinity (imagine Khairy marrying Nurul or something along those lines or every former PM’s child being a Minister or PM) . . . you get the picture (thats also how UMNO imploded with Pak-Lah-KJ vs. dr.Evil-Mukhriz creating so much resentment that so many disappointed voters ran for Pakatan and the same in Pakatan now causing voters to run for MCLM and KITA or becoming independents).

It is sheer inadequacy that makes these insane people go around spreading rumours or harming others. It is worse when those listening and believing the rumours are induced to act. What kind of justice or reparation can be sought? Those who broke the law should be punished accordingly or at the very least in kind. We have to keep aware and alert the public to such behaviour and seek to prevent continuation of such behaviour via educating the voters on such issues and building awareness for everyone to be wary of the modus operandi of such abusers.

And as we know a large portion of crimes are done by people who know the victim, so don’t be too excited or flattered or frightened by sudden boons or banes in the form of people or gift horses, they are easily inventions of the sick society we live in, right all the way up to the political parties in power.

pointofview
20 December 2010 – 10:32 pm

@ Agreetodisagree

I salute you for the facts that you have mentioned in your earlier comments to date. It is pointless to go into an argument or battle with some stupidos who can’t think out of the box. Anyway, bravo for justifying your points.

@ SiewEng

Yes, she made the right choice for her. A man and a woman or should I say a boy and a girl can meet in any circumstances, there shouldn’t be so much emphasize on the teacher student relationship. How if the cupid’s arrow striked between a doctor (a man) and a patient (a young girl 14 maybe)? Love is blind darling. It’s good if it ends up with marriage rather than other social ill issues. Right?

And as for others who have commented here…. start thinking out of the box. It looks like you guys are the ones living in the primitive world… go figure…

siewchinteo
20 December 2010 – 6:24 pm

at times it is difficult to reconcile how a person who “thinks out of the box” can actually accept hudud law…..or any restrictive law for that matter.

but what do i know – i am 3rd world and supports chopping off the head of anyone who harms a child.

AgreeToDisagree
20 December 2010 – 2:38 pm

No wonder the quality of our legal system is dropping. We have someone ready to deny facts than face them.

1) I understand every word that you have used in your reply . . .

But you lack the EQ or are afraid to absorb it.

2) But I think I speak on behalf of everyone here when I say, they seem to mean nothing when read as a sentence. Lol.

I don’t think so. If you read without thinking or trying to understand what is written that usually ends up bring the case.

3) No such thing as constitutional amendment when the basic structure of the constitution does not envisage the hudud law……ever!

Hudud does not need to exist upon Constitution. It exists in the hearts of the faithful in Islam, and those willing to be punished under it’s auspices. If you are a disciplined Muslim or a non-Muslim, no need to fear Hudud.

I keep walking into rooms full of establishment minded people who are unable to employ either critical or lateral thought. Or who wish to keep their fellow citizens in an easy manipulated state? I will presume you belong to the former category and so the responsibility falls upon to debunk yet again.

Hudud Whipping? A Hudud signatory could call it a BDSM club with no physical contact to remain legal in Islam.

Hudud limb removal as pubnishment? A Hudud signatory could claim it was an association for treatment of body integrity identity disorder (BIID).

If Hudud is applied anywhere consensually under the above, the Federal Parliament have no say. And though it VAINLY claims to have the right to, the claim is absolutely inapplicable and should not even be brazenly misrepresented as being applicable. Dishonesty is a terrible sickness of so-called ‘Democratic Governments’.

QUOTE Journal of Applied Philosophy – “amputations should be morally permissible” on the grounds that people with BIID are not “globally irrational”. UNQUOTE

On this technicality and by the methods above, Hudud could be applied.

IT IS THEIR BODY, SO THEIR RIGHT ANYWAY, not for anyone to deny or legislate. More authoritarianism on your part? The constitution is a guideline that can change with time thats why there are CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS. Given the sorry state of Malysia’s judiciary and political paradigms though these CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS have not been applied.

The right to Hudud punishments is a negative freedom but still a freedom nonetheless. No group of citizens via rule of mob or supposed right of larger numbers, might in numbers has any right to enforce ANYTHING on anyone. That is application of ETHICAL principles to a very difficult issue.

The as you call it, ‘fucking’ constitution. doesn’t work and should be amended but isn’t amended because we have lgislators busy trying to steal taxpayer monies who do not understand that Constitution is a living breathing document that needs to have changes to accomodate the PEOPLE, *NOT* the PEOPLE change to suit it because numerically they are out numbered, by force of arms even!

No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it. In the context of consensual Hudud vs. an inapplicable Constitution, guess where the Spirit of the Law lies? And that my ethically unaware or lazy minded friend, is the essence of Civilisation as opposed to the attitude of Malicious Compliance or brute force and punishment based on inapplicable words on a piece of paper. Teach a child to think by giving freedom, not hit a child into not thinking or imprison. Of course sheep are easier to herd, so it is easy to see who intends his charges well and who inevitably ends up abusing them.

The principle is the issue of victimlessness of an action and the right to self determinism. If there are spaces that can be made for whatever they wish experience, just you remember that the world and lands on the world belong to EVERYONE not those most numerous, with the most powerful weapons or the loudest voices or the ability to impose fines and jail terms by force of arms. The ethics of civilisation, be aware and apply!

This civilisation, the display of the tolerance of man, for the relatively minor weirdness that constitutes a mere fraction of the LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES of what we perceive as reality.

Remember Stephen Hawking’s comments on Cthulu? Start thinking out of that box and stop putting people into it because you are too weak minded or LAZY minded. So many narrow minded and authoritarian people around? Making excuses for weak mindedness. Stop being lazy and TEACH responsibility not introduce/impose the Crutches of Authoritarianism on your fellow sentients. In a short while we could very well be having bio-engineered lifeforms ‘Spore’ style and brain transplants to boot alongside all manner of cybernetics. Does this mean a group who can’t wrap their head around these concepts has a right to demand others not be allowed to partake (after extensive ETHICAL testing to ensure no unwanted fallout occurs by any chance of course)?

“The tyranny of the many would be when one body takes over the rights of others, and then exercises its power to change the laws in its favor.” – Voltaire

So don’t tell me Hudud is so shocking. Its really very dull and not something I would chose, *BUT* the principal of the matter is that it’s that person’s choice and to respect God given free will and self determinism, we must at least make space for them to choose their own path. The world belongs to EVERYONE not the ‘majority’ alone. Spirit of Law. No more of this crudity, even against crudity.

For example, look at Section 377B, doesn’t exist in India or England. So why is it maintained here? To be used as a weapon. Every Malaysian who has had oral sex is guilty 377B and should be imprisoned 20 years and whipped. Were government to apply such laws instead of amending them, then we’d all be in prison.

So do you think the Constitution can be applied to Hudud even?

“If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for

people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.”

– Noam Chomsky

As Anwar was a victim of entrapment, so this trial doesn’t count. When a kangaroo court is in session, another political enemy is made to bite the dust. Again spirit of the law trampled by the judiciary’s negligence to amend, by unconstitutional powers to appoint judges, by abusing where people find most pleasure or necessity (like extreme taxes on vehicles) or inflicting Concessionaire Highways and Vehicular-APs on citizens.

Also, understand what ‘cultural relativism’ and ‘free will’ mean you dimknob! So who’s the dumbshit now? Let the readers decide! Pathos without Logos! And don’t mention the Fed or the Constitution, that would be Ethos without Logos! No logic, means no case.

Ali Davidson
18 December 2010 – 9:41 am

AgreetoDisagree,

You can’t apply Hudud la you dumbshit. It is the Federal Parliament that sanctions the level of punishments for the Syariah courts.

Read your fucking constitution you nimrod!

AgreeToDisagree
18 December 2010 – 2:44 am

@Ali Davidson

“Syariah law in Malaysia is archaic and primitive.”

True. But people who WANT HUDUD even, have a right to live by Hudud. Though imposing any law without consent is also wrong. Hudud is livable if you are very disciplined, but most Muslims can’t really do it. That is PAS’s weak point. If PAS makes Hudud applicable on a signatory basis, with all Muslims still under Syariah Law as well, PAS would be quite strong. You could even say that any PAS Malay is an honest and non-corrupt Malay who is a proper follower of Islam. They need to be apply Hudud in this manner or they will chase Malay voters away.

With Tok Guru’s condemnation of Bumiputraism as APARTHEID and ex-Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainal stating Bumiputra is akin to Zionism amonst others, PAS is quite popular in contemporary Malaysia among the minorities.

On the ethical scorecard, PMBK CEO Datuk Abdul Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman being asked to quit by Tok Guru to prevent conflict of interest sets a precedent probably in the whole of ASEAN, though here and there instances of extreme wealth have surfaced, though not as shocking as in BN.

Casual Analysis of Malaysian parties (International links wise) :

1) PAS is the safest where national security is concerned, other than ties with a mostly neutral German delegation, they look absolutely dedicated to Malaysian sovereignty.

2) DAP, as oligarchic and nepotistic as PAP is colluding with PAP on illegal technological fronts at USA’s behest, USA itself is beholden to the Zionist lobby.

3) PKR has Wolfowitz and others linked to Zionism as well though recent distancing of US from PKR’s ANwar make PKR slightly better for nationl sovereignty though NEPOTISM and OLIGARCHY in PKR however are so serious that MCLM and KITA have been set up to counter that in PKR.

4) The double faced Zionist-APCO link, damns Barisan no end.

Don’t laugh at Syariah or even Hudud Ali Davidson, it’s their choice if they really want it and have not been coerced. Self Determinism also applies in liefstyles like Hudud or those luddite minded Amish Mennonite communities in the USA. It’s a free world, don’t disparage that and even help others fight for their right to SELF DETERMINISM.

Ali Davidson
17 December 2010 – 10:44 pm

Just do away with Syariah law in Malaysia and you’ll have peace and harmony!

Syariah law in Malaysia is archaic and primitive.

I laugh each time I hear about Syariah law in Malaysia.

AgreeToDisagree
16 December 2010 – 3:15 am

That line is abit over the top and loses by itself, but you get the picture lol. But the arguement is won elsewhere in the repartee am very sure.

England is the flunky for going on a 10th Crusade against Saddam for double standards on 2nd Amendment Rights and causing near 500,000 deaths. A holocaust only upped by the Ameri-Indian Natives in USA and Canada and South Americas.

I will indulge your skewed perception on free will and your attempts to turn the public against people trying to ensure open opinion and free mindedness.

What do you mean so by default what you say is not relevant and holds not water? Flunked Logic 101?

Because we advocate self determinism, and children who are psychologically mature or who will come to less harm being married than being jailbait, does not mean we are paedophiles. I personally am more inclined to Borticelli than Loli phenotype though if @pointof view is into the latter, and everyone is consensual to marriage including parents, why should there be an issue?

Marriage and childbirth dignifies the tween or teen (especially if biologocally capable) and transitions her into a woman and MOTHER, not some mentally immatured ingenue long past her biological fertility, that that too is a choice that must remain open to the fairer sex.

Did you think the stork dropped off babies at the orphanage and that only aging women are entitled to adopt and raise children, who are sometimes forcibly placed there via child alienation?

Even male-male homosexual couples are permitted to adopt and raise children, (by the initiative of a certain alter ego I would hope?) why do you seek to forbid young couples in love who chose to become life partners?

During tribal times where all was untamed wilderness, when 2 people matured, they would probably leave the tribe to set up their own family and start ‘experimenting’ much earlier as well. Was there a law then? Then the male would take out his bow and arrow and . . . HUNT animals (OMG someone call PETA! Duh.). (No I wasn’t going to get explicit.)

Then there is the ageism issue, is difference in age any indicator of maturity or a reason to place a barrier to consensual marriage?

NEUTRAL SPACES for thought and living! Autonomy!

Go hurl your stones somewhere else and put those pitchforks and torches to better use, like against an abusive government which far too many have vested interest (perhaps you are one who profits from the proliferation of ‘charities’, orphanages, child services, or child alienation lawsuits? REPENT from doing Satan’s work by speaking for his Satanic social engineering structures and leave us independent citizens alone.)

All religious institutions running as businesses as well had better empty those coffers full of sequesterd funds that never benefit society, PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING, EVEN DYING OUT THERE.

It is YOU who is advised to seek medical help for your lack of logic and attempt at tarring anyone by calling them paedophiles. God knows they’ve made a sacred taboo of freedom to marry alongside religion without more people egging the ‘self serving charitable’ on.

Oneofthesedays
15 December 2010 – 10:28 pm

@pointofview @AgreeToDisagree

Looks like you flunked England too….

You are a couple of pedophile supporters so by default what you say is not relevant and holds no water.

My advice to you is to seek medical help for your sickness.

siew eng
15 December 2010 – 7:49 am

“She probably dont know or understand what she is getting herself into but I think she has made the right choice for her.”

This reminds me of Noor Kumalarasi who said she’d follow even the hadiths that are daif.

How well the teacher taught the student!

pointofview
14 December 2010 – 8:46 am

Oneofthesedays

You must be a joke… math? go figure the world… I didnt flunked my maths or language but making a simple point that if that teacher guy made his decision to marry the 14 year old girl then he should be ready to double up his duties. 14, 24 or 30 the house chores or what you call as maid duties should be shared to build a good marriage. Obviously, you dont have the capacity to understand that.

FarFarAway
14 December 2010 – 1:12 am

Generally, the law of the land (which would have been gazetted normally after discussion, debate and consultations) should be observed.

However, in Msia, there appears to be two sets of law and these need to be streamlined – after a fair discussion/debate/consultations, of course – where a legal minimum age for marriage should be set clearly.

AgreeToDisagree
14 December 2010 – 12:11 am

@Oneofthesedays

“If you can’t tell the diff between 14 and 24 you must have flunked math :)”

You don’t need to know math for wifely duties, to give birth or nurse children. The poorer husband though would require doubling up for cook’s or even maid’s duties though, but the same do not need math either. In fact math is not even needed for housebuilding (the traditional way) or farming crops or mining. Do we need math or even language for that matter? A club and a cave is more important than math.

Oneofthesedays
13 December 2010 – 9:12 pm

pointofview

if you can’t tell the diff between 14 and 24…you must have flunked math 🙂

pointofview
13 December 2010 – 11:43 am

By the way, the age gap between my husband and I is 9 years. We have a beautiful daughther. And I must say that, I’m a happily married woman and I’m enjoying every bits of my life to the fullest with my husband who once was my teacher.

pointofview
13 December 2010 – 11:32 am

I dont understand why this issue of a teacher marrying a student is so provoking to the society. I’m married to my teacher. The difference is that we waited until I finished my studies and got married at the age of 24. See, this girl has made her choice by marrying the teacher at a very young age. We are nobody to judge her or the teacher. She probably dont know or understand what she is getting herself into but I think she has made the right choice for her. I’m not condoning their actions but sometimes when you are ready to get married…just go ahead and get married. If not, the right person to come by will take sometime…or maybe not at all.

As for the parents, I dont think they want to escape from their parental resposibility. They just dont want to see their daugther being unmarried, have sex and get pregnant. So, by marrying her to that guy will ease their worries. Sometimes, when you have daughthers, the right measure should be taken to prevent wrong doings. Just think of it that we are reversing the time to early 40’s, 50’s or 60’s….where women get married at a very young age and build their happy families.

p/s: this is for the writer:

before you loyarburok about others, please do some research and gather your facts and point of views. Just dont hantam people. Anyway, you are single. What do you know about getting married or being married?

Charlie
13 December 2010 – 4:02 am

Speaking as someone who does not live in Malaysia and who has never lived in a majority Muslim community, and therefore probably more removed from the emotions behind the debate, I wasn’t surprised to hear that children of 14 are getting married in Muslim countries (after all, the prophet Mohammed pbuh himself married multiple wives (11) one of whom was betrothed to him at the age of 6 and the marriage was consummated at 10 (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad’s_wive…. In this context, I was relieved that there was not too much of an age gap between the newly married couple (only 8 years) which is a pleasant contrast to the extremes we see in truly undeveloped places like Afghanistan: See this picture of a 40 year old man married to an 11 year old girl that won Unicef Photo of the year http://www.metro.co.uk/news/80298-under-age-marri….

That said, I (and I expect many others in the West) do perceive marriage at such a young age to be a practice of countries less progressive than Malaysia, and I was surprised that there is this “loophole” in Malaysian law that allows the marriageable age of 16 to be broken if sanctioned by a Shariah court. I think it is scary and undesirable that such a court could sanction marriage to girls much younger than 14 if it wanted to. I think there should be a lower age limit on this power. What that age limit should be should be a topic of debate for the Muslim community in Malaysia.

Looking at marriageable ages around the world, the trend is to raise them not to lower them. The trend is also to stop the practice of children getting married. In 2008 Egypt raised the marriageable age from 16 to 18 and also outlawed female circumcision (a barbaric practice which I believe many of my Muslim brothers and sisters in certain countries have tolerated for too long). Even Saudi Arabia and Yemen (among the most prolific for child marriages) are also looking to introduce a minimum marriageable age. Such action is largely in response to outcries at what their indigenous populations saw as morally reprehensible behaviour in a marriage context (e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nujood_Ali).

So, I think that is good news for the world. I am pleased that Malaysia is not having more extreme stories of forced marriages with larger age gaps coming out and I am also pleased that there is a willingness to debate these issues openly. No country is perfect, but through debate, willingness to change and pursuit of principles of fairness we stand a good chance of making our countries better and more harmonious places to live.

AgreeToDisagree
12 December 2010 – 3:14 am

What have you seen at 14? Why can’t you wait?

Well after picking the husband of choice or being picked by a successful suitor, or having an meticulously and astrologically soundly calculated arranged marriage (with someone not too noxious to oneself), the now matured woman (maybe in her late 30s onwards), may still choose to ‘see the world’ after raising her children to adulthood.

Who says a lfestyle has to be linear or binary? Try thinking out of the box, and while saying it is justified by Islam is the lazy way out, I think the Prophet would concur with my entirely secular and logic based views on the matter.

It IS okay for minors to get married. But only after many considerations are to be factored in. Best of luck, and don’t wait too long for ‘true love’, by biological factors, some things are best enjoyed and more viable while young!

Noreen
12 December 2010 – 1:02 am

Hi All,

Thank you all for your comments again. I am happy that my article has generated views both from those who are okay with underage marriages and those who are against it. And so, thank you for your concerns Crystal. I am touched.:-)

Who would have thought that there are people who are okay with underage marriages? Seriously. Again, seriously?!!

I feel compelled to comment again because I do not appreciate being called as someone who back-out from a war and having accused as someone with a perverted, corrupted mind who failed to understand the attributes and teachings of Prophet Muhammad.

The reference to stoneage is a metaphor to a time different from ours and to minds that somehow have not caught up with the 21st century. It wasn’t supposed to be read literally as a prehistoric period where man made tools from stones.

True, I agree that Prophet Muhammad’s marriage to Aishah is an exceptional case but is the teacher like Prophet Muhammad and is the kid like Aishah? Abu Bakar As-Siddiq blessed the marriage between Aishah and Prophet Muhammad because of:

(a) to reinforce friendly relations between him and the Prophet;

(b) to educate and train Aisha so she may served the purposes of Islam; and

(c) to teach her to utilise her capabilities for the sake of Islam.

If (note-IF) the parents’ intentions for approving the marriage were:

(a) to escape from their responsibility as parents; and

(b) to legalise sex between a minor and an adult.

Then, I feel sorry for the girl.Marriage is no child’s play and this was why the last paragraph of my article above was styled in the manner of the last dialogue in the movie Trainspotting. It is to evoke images of choices,empowerment, independence and there is more to life than getting married. See and experience the world first, then decide. What have you seen at 14? Why can’t you wait? True love waits.

To say it is okay for minors to get married because the Prophet did it to me is the same as saying it is okay for parents to kill their kid as a sacrifice to Allah. The same way as Ibrahim almost killed Ismail before being rewarded for his loyalty and faith with a big sheep sent down from the heaven to be slaughtered instead of Ismail. Sacrifice in this modern age has taken into a more in depth meaning if not metaphoric and is more than slaughtering the sacrificial sheep.

Farha’s suggestions to me is a happy compromise and while I respect her views, I still stand with what I have written. To me there is no compromise in underage marriages. It should be banned altogether.

As for the teacher and his newly married child-bride, good luck.I wish you all the best and may you have a blissful marriage.

Have a good weekend everyone.

zenonidenoni
11 December 2010 – 7:33 am

The Prophet Muhammad SAW is a mercy sent by Allah to mankind. His acts and his words were never driven by lust, his wisdom came from Allah through the the teaching of the Angel Jibrail. It is in your perverted mind that think their marriage was by lust, then why not the prophet married 10 young girls, why did he married only one while he can have them all, nobody was going to question the prophet back then. But he did marry only one girl and not making her as his daughter because a stepdaughter in Islam is not allowed to access much of his private life, which in fact, very important to us Muslims to learn about his way of life. The hardness of his life not only felt by him, but also his daughter Fatimah and all of his nine wives. He acted not upon his desire nor lust, but his actions were always guided by Allah. And people would slander him if he took Aisyah r.a. as a stepdaughter. You guys had not read nor study the life of the prophet or other prophets, so you will not have any idea other than what in store of your perverted, corrupted mind.

zenonidenoni
11 December 2010 – 7:17 am

I’m out of this argument. No point arguing anymore. I had made my stand, deliver my message that we should not intervene with the marriage, for fear it may cause them to separate. We should be supportive, not destructive, they are already married with the consent of their parents.

Who are we to decide that playing and going on school trips are good for her. We should grab whatever opportunity to do good deeds and shall not delay it for tomorrow for fear that the chance might go off. We don’t even know what is going to happen the next second, we can only assume. So, please, janganlah bersangka buruk dengan orang lain. Goodbye.

Crystal
11 December 2010 – 5:41 am

Dear Noreen,

Do not be disheartened by some of the comments by your readers. The way most Malaysians reacted to this news, we all know how the majority feels about this. And I very much agree with U-En Eng. This is not about the girl’s rights to get married. The questions really is about whether she is mature enough. I know some 14-year olds who are very mature, but why can’t it wait? If you are so confident about your love, why not wait?

And so many of you are not parents. Neither am I. But I shudder to think that there may be a teacher in my nieces schools who may be flirting and having a relationship with them! Parents are supposed to protect and prevent their children from making mistakes. How can a 14 year old really know what marriage really is and what she has committed herself into? What is the point of “building a family life early so by the age of 40, their children can help and support and build even bigger family.” Why not 20+??

And so many talk about the ‘legal’ aspect of marriage. Sex with a minor is still SEX WITH A MINOR, married or otherwise! MARRIAGE DOES NOT MAKE A KID OLDER! Marriage is not just a “holy union of two souls with god as witness”. It’s a lot of work, work that 14 year olds may not be capable of. Work that is not necessary for a 14 year old. She should be playing and going on school trips and having fun with her friends. How can you say she chose it when she may not even know what the hell she is talking about?

U-En Ng
11 December 2010 – 4:46 am

Do we trust a 14-year-old (or any girl on the basis of her first period, regardless of age) to drive a car? Buy a house? Work in a factory? Get a credit card?

If there is an element of prejudgement in preventing underaged marriage (in that it deprives an individual, regardless of her age, of choice), aren’t we also bound at least to consider that an individual’s capacity for deciding *ought* to be tested by *sufficient maturity*?

farha
10 December 2010 – 11:18 pm

There are pros and cons to marrying at such a young age. In those days (yes, i HAVE to make that comparison), girls marry young but usually because their families have arranged for it…rarely does the girl marry out of their own volition.

Today, if the 14-year-old girl (who recenly is in the press) marry because she want to, to the guy who is right (at that time), feels she’s capable, why not? She have the right to get married…this i don’t deny. However, she also have the right to an education that supports teenage mums.

I think, then, there has to be some kind of guidelines to i)ensure they remain educated; or in worse case scenario, ii)be able to re-join school if she don’t want to attend school for the time being (for whatever reason)

(e.g – how many times can these young mums defer PMR/SPM if they take maternity leave? is there ‘compassionate leave’ for them if they need to attend to sick babies?)

the pervert teacher should be arrested for rape and not be allowed near children unsupervised ever again.-end quote-

wah,so nice of you to accuse someone who you don’t even know. Do you understand that pedophile is a person who had sex (unmarried of course) with a young person. Between a legal husband and wife, you have no jurisdiction for that. And I always think it is nothing wrong to marry early, they are not rob from their childhood, they are building their family life early so by the age of 40, their children can help and support and build even bigger family.

By the way, my gf is a nice beautiful and charming 24-year old lady whom I’m going to marry her if Allah permit when I have enough money.

p/s: A writer should write responsibly.

AgreeToDisagree
10 December 2010 – 6:04 pm

hi @L,

1) ” and as Marina Mahathir had said in her column in The Star, marrying a teenager just for the sake of preventing “social ills” such as pre-marital sex can actually lead to bigger social ills like abuse, lack of education for the female bride therefore lack of her ability to fend for herself and thus have to be entirely dependent on her husband to decide her life for her as per his will…etc.

Not in every case. And with a strong and watchful (DO NOT BE ‘offensively watchful’ – try malicious compliance, for respect for her husband is critical to their marital bliss – warning all so-called feminists to check those attitudes in advance, especially older jealous jilted/unmarried ones) community setting I mention, ‘fending’ will be very unlikely.

As for ‘conveniently saintly’ Marin ‘Evil’ Mahathiru who looks potentially to angle herself via MCLM as Malaysia’s First Female PM, and the spectre of her becoming Malaysia’s First Female PM in true DYNASTY/OLIGARCHY form after her father dr.Evil, is just too horrible to mention. dr.Evil would never face a trial, and the ‘pity my father’ and ‘since I am also PM’ ploy will be all too obvious by then. She would likely to protect her father, whitewash Ops Lallang, or the Vehicular AP system or the APARTHEID or billions worth of ILLEGAL shipping bailouts, closed tenders, free contracts, unpaid and ignored bills and illegal movements of funds for Marina’s brothers Mirzan and Mokhzani.

By vested interests Mirzan is a director of at least eight companies listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. His private company, Peringkat Prestasi, a large stake in Lion Corp. His Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd, a listed haulage and logistics company, controls almost half of Malaysia’s road freight market. Imagine the number of freely given contracts this guy got!

Mokhazani, ex-UMNO Treasurer, is worth well over a billion, through his vehicle Kenchana Petroleum and much of the undistributed NEP wealth through a network of subsidiaries and proxies. Imagine the number of close tenders this guy got!

Careful of MCLM simply by the association of committee post bearer Marina to her brothers and by extension dr.Evil Mahathir! Blood is thicker than water and in the nepotistic and oligarchic world of blood relations, ALL the Rakyat are but water, so NEVER vote for those who by association attempt to protect those who have harmed Malaysia so much over the past 22 years. I’d drop MCLM for fear that friendships between Haris/RPK and Marina would be a protective last pitch weapon coordinated by the evil Mahathir in the background somehow. To play it safe, I’d advise all voters or current MCLM supporters to look for other options than MCLM or set up as private candidates instead. A 3rd Force is indeed needed but MCLM by blood association to dr.Evil, has too many holes for any cautious voter’s liking.

Citizens, run as private candidates instead if you want a 3rd Force so badly.

2) those who advocate this practice are supporters of a repressive patriarchal system who believe a woman’s purpose in life is to be a good wife and serve the man, who then will have all the rights to determine her life for her. Women are humans too, in case you have not noticed. Women have the right to choose…yes…some may choose marriage. but if at a young age, how sure are we that that choice is a choice made by an uninfluenced mind with a clear and rational idea of what she is committing herself towards.

Not necessarily again. Do you know what joy a child-like mind who has indulged and lived out whimsical decisions can accrue in the years to come? She will always say, I always had my way. And that is part of the magic of having a young bride that you may never know because of your distrust or lack of access of the strong supportive community as I mention.

Such settings are few but should be encouraged, and by this way of upbringing, the next generation of adults would be equally joyful and privileged, to influence society to a happier and freer world. I partook of a different form, (not a child bride) and here I am sharing what I have ‘gained’, though throughout there was much anger at the freedom I always felt and still wish to share.

The gain I mention above is incalculable as opposed to the devastating social engineering occurring this day. Though with caveats as in my earlier comment. Think deeper and in the right setting and conditions, the above culture is a wonder and luxury to behold that while out of reach to most today, should really be extended to all peoples of the world in time to come.

AgreeToDisagree
10 December 2010 – 5:46 pm

hi Noreen :

You said ” My question is why not? Writers write, readers decide.”

True but entirely neglecting the finer point I will now discuss below.

But too many people don’t really know their own mind or have had time to develop the intelligence or linguistic skills to make their own opinions or even develop their personality *shock* – schooling is something I feel should begin AFTER age 35 when a stable core personality has developed.

That is also why the AGEISM issue in uniformed or enforcement recruiting – a very vicious agenda that strips a young individual of the opportunity to develop themselves. Do you think a matured soldier who has lived as a civilian would torture prisoners as in Abu Gharaib? Go to war when the reasons are wrong? Hardly, so the young and vulnerable are being targeted and as an matured person (which I assume you are, note I used the word mature, because old age does not make for maturity) it is a responsibility for the conscientious to prevent such ‘collateral damage’ (in afflicting self determinism or formation of opinion) which I see many writers in many online mags or blogs neglecting to address entirely.

So when you write, you could end up inadvertently subsuming any opinions a reader might have had or that were in formation! Especially the less intelligent ones or those from lower socio-political classes who have been inculpated with ‘approval seeking’ natures.

Perhaps forums should have a rating system or warning (by the Information Ministry – which obviously is a propaganda machine with no sense of right or wrong, save for the political forces currently at sway) on the above matters to better prepare the readers for strong opinions that effectively end up as an imposition of ‘social engeineering’ without ‘informed consent’.

For added responsibility and respect for the free will of others to avoid this problem, such safeguards and considerations must always be met and never trivilised or neglected unless we have an ‘agenda’.

Now I do not know you well enough to judge that you have been tainted by communication with such people but if you are, please drop those guys, even if they pay you a salary to spin, and begin writing CONSCIENTIOUSLY and in a NEUTRAL manner.

As we communicate, more problems are identified and better ways of communication and social development are discovered. I think there are many who would find this exchange on the issue itself and the ‘why not’ you have brought up useful. Also very appreciative on the replies! Some article writers only want to pontificate and never engage or discuss as if theirs was the gospel tructh, others twist your comments via selective moderation, I really appreciate this and our so-called ‘aduns’ should learn to communicate with the Rakyat who voted them in after all.

Nice chatting!

KoE
10 December 2010 – 4:58 pm

I’m surprise that the writer failed to understand that the teachings and the attributes of Prophet Muhammad PBUH are universal and stand correct across the time

Oneofthesedays
10 December 2010 – 4:53 pm

@zenonidenoni

when are you marrying your 14 year-old?

pedophile defender = pedophile

so nothing you have said has any credibility.

the pervert teacher should be arrested for rape and not be allowed near children unsupervised ever again.

L
10 December 2010 – 1:48 pm

i enjoy reading your article. it is refreshing to see how some people in the community have a strong opinion against such a practice.

just because marriage has legalized sex with a minor, it doesn’t mean that it is not paedophilia. that is an extreme view, i am aware of that. but such a view cannot be dismissed altogether.

and as Marina Mahathir had said in her column in The Star, marrying a teenager just for the sake of preventing “social ills” such as pre-marital sex can actually lead to bigger social ills like abuse, lack of education for the female bride therefore lack of her ability to fend for herself and thus have to be entirely dependent on her husband to decide her life for her as per his will…etc.

those who advocate this practice are supporters of a repressive patriarchal system who believe a woman’s purpose in life is to be a good wife and serve the man, who then will have all the rights to determine her life for her. Women are humans too, in case you have not noticed. Women have the right to choose…yes…some may choose marriage. but if at a young age, how sure are we that that choice is a choice made by an uninfluenced mind with a clear and rational idea of what she is committing herself towards. some laws need to be enacted to protect people from their closest people, their love interests, families and even from themselves, in order to adequately protect their rights as a human, deserving of every freedom a human is entitled to.

zenonidenoni
10 December 2010 – 9:54 am

You can’t just declare a war and then back off..

But hey, no need to raise the alarm, I come in peace. And I did not say you insult the Prophet SAW. Only that I read that you talked about stone age in one paragraph, and the next paragraph you continue with a doubt about the Prophet decision if he was here. There is a link of ideas going on.. which I understood you wanted to say that the Prophet lived in the stone age…something like that.

And hey again, I think we should say to the girl to learn to be a good wife, and we should say to the husband, be gentle to your wife and we should say to their families we support you although we differ in our actions and decisions because we know this is not wrong and it has nothing to do with public opinion because this is their private life. Or just say something good and not being “buruk sangka” to other people.

Noreen
10 December 2010 – 7:38 am

Hi All,

Thank you for all your comments. It feels great that this article has evoked many thoughts and opinions. You have made me more inspired because the worst thing about writing is not having any readers at all.

Anyway: –

Dear Zedoninonini,

I am sorry to disappoint you but I am not taking up your challenge. Firstly because I am fully aware of my credibility and credentials when I wrote this. I do not have to prove this to anyone, certainly not to you. Secondly, I do not how you read the article, I did not insult Prophet Mohammad. Thank you for your comments.

Dear Agree to Disagree,

I see your points and if I had not formed any opinion on the issue of underage marriages,I might actually agree with all that you have just said. One point though, when you said “writers should not make opinions on any lifestyle as if it were the only way to live”. My question is why not? Writers write, readers decide.

zenonidenoni
10 December 2010 – 5:45 am

Salam, I am here to defend the Prophet Muhammad SAW although he does not need anyone to defend himself, but I’m doing it because I love him. Therefore O Writer of the Post, I have seven questions to challenge your credibility to have your opinion made public and yet accepted upon this gray issue. What you had wrote will surely applauded by disbelievers who always looking not by the wisdom of the Deen of Haq. Herewith are my questions:

1. Regardless of your marital status, what will you consider a marriage is, a gift from Allah, natural selection or a curse?

2. Have you studied intensively the story of the Prophet Muhammad SAW that you come to a conclusion that he will not get married to Aisyah r.a. if they live in this modern age?

3. You said, “I have forgotten that times may have changed but some minds are still trapped in the Stone Age.” Well, do you believe that there was a period in time called the Stone Age? What do you think when I say that there were the Age of the Prophets and the Age of the Kings and the bones and potteries that were found in the caves that are claimed to be from the Stone Age were just from people who somehow got disconnected from the ancient civilizations and beside that, there will always be foolish people all around these ages to believe that there was a Stone Age?

4. Do you know the teacher, the girl and their parents that you can just ignorantly depict them as the third world people? By the way, what world are you in? The dark matter world?

5. Can I blame you and other people that are with the same tune as your opinion in this matter if the marriage mentioned above fail? Why? Maybe because you are not being supportive to them and that make them in a state of under public pressure and scrutiny.

6. Don’t you agree that by marrying early enable the girl to learn and master the art of being a good and pious wife earlier than you do?

7. Why do you think the Prophet married Aisyah r.a. at her tender age?

P/s: Somebody posted this thread on a forum I used to follow (Darksiderg.com, under the column Banana Republic)

QUOTE

i just dont think its right to follow the preachings of someone who has sex with nine year old girls or takes his sons wife for his self because god told him to after he seen her naked.

(2) the education and work route which most middle class types are forced to because they have no choice.

But nobody should have any lifestyle forced upon them or promoted as the only lifestyle as well. If future hubby is too poor to hire a maid (no more cleaning), a cook (no preperation of breakfast or meals) or a child minder (no more looking after of kids) or even a wet nurse (no more feeding, though most mothers probably would), then look at your family stature and decide if he is suitable for you. The above ‘chores’ should not be presented as a set of DEMANDS of marriage but are as optional as the young brides’ preference. Some might ENJOY the tasks and even refuse to let the hired help do the work. It’s not unknown and the sheer domesticity of ‘chores’ is the basis of happy marriages, depending on the personality of those being considered!

Affairs of the heart can always be fulfilled at any age, once biologically capable and with INFORMED CONSENT and knowledge of parents and community. Attachment to a husband is something that varies greatly between women, so early marriage is just another option and adds diversity to viable lifestyles that deserves the support of society as well.

Meanwhile the government could have a preparatory syllabus drawn up for young brides, and make sure the local Wanita branch of whatever party locally, is always watching over and constantly in communication with any young wives to make sure no abuses occur. This should make sure that all husbands (stop with the AGEISM which is no better than RACISM, old age is the breakdown of a body nothing else) treats young wives well and instills a sense of responsibility as well.

Writers should not make opinions on any lifestyle as if it were the only way to live. In truth, some girls would be very happy and fulfilled as a mother early in life, while others would not. So a study of the personality of the would-be bride should be done by parents on both sides and NEUTRAL matured people/professionals who do not advocate either life style as gospel truth the way this writer does.

Light demogoguery by Ms Ariff? She has chosen a path that she prefers or was swept into. The least the writer can do is to let others choose their own way of living without any pushing in any direction. That is the nature of free will and self determinism. Let all choose who to love, and when to marry, preferably after the above social checks and balances and opinion feedbacks have been made.

Steven
10 December 2010 – 12:16 am

Would statutory rape for minor below 16 years apply if the husband has sex with his so call wife.

Serious Shepherd
10 December 2010 – 12:09 am

Set of law A says:

-Killing foetuses is legal

-Adultery is legal if you and your partner are above 18 years old

-If one of the partners is under 18 then it is a statutory rape, even it is done through marriage

-If both are under 18 and commit adultery, then has to come out with something like Romeo and Juliet laws (let’s say both are 16)

If a community already adopts set of law B then there is no need for set of law A to be imposed on them. It’s like doing moral policing to a certain community who later complains on ‘imposing their moral values on others’.

anak_perelih
9 December 2010 – 6:01 pm

many 14 years old girls nowadays are having sex with their boyfriends… not a surprise…

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Not meaning to be critical but try this lullaby :

Hush, little baby, don’t say a word, Mama’s gonna buy you a mockingbird. (What does a baby need a mockingbird for? How about mixing with fellow babies at a crech?)And if that mockingbird don’t sing, Mama’s gonna buy you a diamond ring. (Guess this is not ‘Career Woman’ Noreen’s bag? And yes thats really too early . . . )
etc. ends with :

And if that horse and cart fall down, Well you’ll still be the sweetest baby in town. (Horse and cart? Try singing about teats, cribs and bibs first ‘Mama’. ‘Mama’ in this song increasingly feels like a ‘Replicant’ from ‘Bladerunner’ (Ridley Scott 1982) not knowing or confounded by the difference between Tortoises and Turtles . . .

So guess what, the rest of the song here continues ‘gifting’ things that aren’t very useful to a baby or a child and ends with . . . still be the sweetest baby in town . . . OMG the ‘Psycho’ scenario! The whole song appears to be geared towards not wanting baby to grow up or leave (horse and cart fall down . . . )?

Guess mothers even of that day were THAT clingy and selfish or didn’t know what a child liked. A mockingbird?!? Really? Does that come in a cage? How about something more cheerful and boisterous like so many songbirds in the wild which are free? And WHY must that dog be pre-named ‘Rover’? Baby or child might want to name their dog themselves, who knows baby or child prefers cats or no pets at all?

Good intentions without consultation of the receipient or consideration of the recipient’s preferences make for meaningless pontificative communication . . . Sigh, this lullaby is depressing and smothering – promise rewards for being quiet when QUESTIONING and DEBATING – AMENDING/APPENDING (to) FLAWED CONSTITUTIONS and BAD LAWS! So Noreen, how could anyone try to ‘imprint’ an article upon the readers like this much like the above lullaby does – imagine the negative subliminal effects such ‘lullabies’ might have on the subconscious! Freedom of choice is best and THAT covers APOSTASY and choice of sexuality, something Malaysia does not have. Noreen, taking away choice to get married young is no different than being forced to marry, and in this day and age, people love to stand out, no surprise that when everyone is studying those individualists who want to stand out will purposely get married and become mothers! You’re raining on an individualist Noreen, even as you yourself have become ‘Pro-Establishment’ (. . . probably, though perhaps I am too hopeful . . . ) without knowing so.

How about running for election on the below 3 items as an independent Noreen?

distribute unused land to the homeless (socialism but would you rather have 1% plutocrats with an angry 99% homeless, debt ridden, becoming gangs of thieves/robbers, or NGO ralliers running around, or distribute and aloow them to slowly build their homes into castles, contentedly smoking weed or poppy sap, chewing coca they grew in their own backyard for free and eating food they grew themselves?). Malaysia is a land of plenty, we do not need taxes, illegal immigrants being given free citizenships out of sheer racism or religiosity, and fees every step of the way right down to the apartheid and extreme religion. This is just step 1.

When the above all happens, then will new things appear for humanity – at least in Malaysia. If we can’t even do the above 3 for a start much less what I just listed, at least don’t try to ‘Lowest Common Denominatorise’ or ‘Streamline into Conformity’ individuals that have the strength to go against the mainstream.

An 18-year-old girl has been arrested on child pornography charges for selling nude pictures of herself online.

The girl, an 18-year-old unemployed resident of Saitama, was arrested on charges of selling child pornography after she sold nude pictures of herself to men online using an Internet bulletin board.

Reportedly, from December of 2009 to April of 2010 she took a number of pictures of herself naked with her cellphone, in one case selling 33 to a pair of patrons for ¥12,000.

She identified customer bank accounts, allowing police to identify 147 customers who paid her a total of ¥1,070,000 ($12,000). It is not clear whether police will be pursuing charges against them.

She admits the charges, saying she used the money to pay her rent and food bills as she had left home.

18-year-olds, though still technically minors under Japanese law, are perfectly legal to portray pornographically in Japan – although unconfirmed, observers think the most likely explanation for her arrest is that some of the photographs were of her when she was still 17, though naturally this hardly constitutes “child pornography” in the eyes of most.

The arrest has proven contentious amongst Japanese – some have denounced it as a typical abuse of a bad law in order to terrorise minors into chastity, whilst others express disgust at police and mass media which insist on calling an 18-year-old a “shoujo” instead of a young woman. None can identify a victim involved in the crime.

Ironically, she would not have faced any charges had she just had sex with the men for money, or sold them her pantsu, even if she was a minor at the time – Japanese police never take legal action against “child” prostitutes, except apparently when they happen to take pictures of themselves.

Even more ironically, in most parts of Japan a schoolgirl can be procured for much less than the patrons mentioned paid for a few dirty snaps…

Innocent-Guilty Questionaire Factors (Yes/No questions determine what charges can be brought on. treat each question as a Juror).

*Abstract Factors
1) Who initiated the first move (threw the first punch)? Was this ‘serial’ / ‘habitual’ in nature or due to ‘natural feelings of ‘love’?
2) Was act Consensual-Non-Coercive / Bribe-Pressure Induced (Did victim feel taken advantage of? Perpetrator’s view of advantage taking form could be created.)
3) Was the victim psychologically mature and intellectually capable of understanding relationships, has studied the subject sufficiently to make informed decisions? Psychological maturity could be tested to determine age for right to consent regardless of age.
4) Cultural norm/practice justification?

In this Sankaku example, factors 1, 2, 3 can be discounted. Factor 4 is debatable to a 50/50 degree.

*Material Factors
1) Onset of puberty another determining factor (Increases right based on uncontrollable chemical/mating instinct?)
2) Physical maturity another determining factor (Increases right based on ‘can carry to term with no significant risk to victim’ as in life threatening Caesarians being required as opposed to having capacity for natural birth, regardless of pregnancy or non-pregnancy after the act)
3) Is the victim a financial dependent? (Debatable : Financial dependent allowed/disallowed regardless of maturity AND if underage OR pre-pubescent may not be allowed to consent regardless of psychological maturity? Further – Can the law demand that Parental consent is required without trampling on self determinism and creating uproar among religious demographic? Is fiscal and statuary age based control of right of sexual association unconstitutional? (Leads to child labour laws AND psychological maturity issues / Application to pornograpy and media?)

In this Sankaku example, all 3 Factors can be discounted.

Verdict : 0.5 out of 7. Not guilty. Free her now with reparations pls., her ‘legal system unaffirmed’ human rights are being trampled on.

ARTICLE 3

NOW, even 6-year-old girls say they want to be ‘SEXY’ – Friday, 20 July 2012 18:22

Today in bleeeeeeeeuuuuuurrrrrrrrrgh, a new study in the journal Sex Roles suggests that girls as young as six years old are concerned with appearing “sexy.” As in, sexually attractive. To other people. With their bodies. In public. At the risk of getting all preachy about “the children,” I’d like to invite you all to join me in a rousing chorus of, “Holy shit!!! The chiiiiildreeeeeeen!!!”

Now, obviously “sexiness” doesn’t really mean anything to little kids, as much as they think they understand it. If my collection of wide-leg pants, head-bandannas, maroon clogs, and polyester potato sacks is any indication, I definitely didn’t get a handle on sexiness until I was like…24. At least. 25, maybe. Do I even know now? Whatever. I didn’t know what it was or how to do it, but I knew that I wanted it—because, in the grand scheme of things, the girls that had “it” were the girls that got what they wanted. Sexiness is the source of our power, society says. It’s what makes you a girl. So only, like, a baby snail in a coma would be naive enough to imagine that that attitude wouldn’t trickle down to the children. Kids are sponges. Which means that now kids are sexy sponges. Bleurgh.

Researchers presented 6- to 9-year-old girls with a series of paired paper dolls: one doll in a “sexy” outfit and the other in a trendy but full-coverage outfit.

Using a different set of dolls for each question, the researchers then asked each girl to choose the doll that: looked like herself, looked how she wanted to look, was the popular girl in school, she wanted to play with.

Across-the-board, girls chose the “sexy” doll most often. The results were significant in two categories: 68 percent of the girls said the doll looked how she wanted to look, and 72 percent said she was more popular than the non-sexy doll.

Girls who played sports chose the non-sexualized doll more often. Girls who both watched a lot of TV and had mothers with “self-objectifying tendencies” were more likely to choose the sexy doll. But on the flipside, girls who watched a lot of TV but received “maternal instruction during media viewing” (i.e. smart, attentive moms who made sure to call bullshit on bullshit) were somewhat more protected from self-sexualization. Media-consuming girls with religious mothers were similarly non-sexualized. However, perhaps most interestingly:

Girls who didn’t consume a lot of media but who had religious mothers were much more likely to say they wanted to look like the sexy doll. “This pattern of results may reflect a case of ‘forbidden fruit’ or reactance, whereby young girls who are overprotected from the perceived ills of media by highly religious parents … begin to idealize the forbidden due to their underexposure,” the authors wrote…”low media consumption is not a silver bullet” against early self-sexualization in girls.

And that gets directly to the heart of my feelings about this whole creep-show. The knee-jerk response is to blame Katy Perry, and Sydney Bristow, and Bratz dolls, and brokeback lady heroes. There’s no comic book lady-lawyer with a bionic briefcase whose superpower is competence and whose costume is a sensible pantsuit. That doesn’t exist. And that particular cultural flaw certainly doesn’t help little girls prioritize brains over butts. But it’s still just an intermediate symptom, not the cause.

Here’s the cause: Exactly one jillion years ago (historical accuracy courtesy of Lindy West, Lady Anthropologist), some genius decided that the human body was shameful. Especially the female human body. And the disgusting, shameful human body needed to be cloaked at all times, or else DOOM. Certain religious people (see above) are especially excited about this idea. Except simultaneously, some other genius decided that the female body is a precious, possessable commodity that can be sold and traded and hoarded like big floppy flesh-bucks. So that creates this crazy taboo where everyone is clamoring to see naked female bodies all the time, but they feel weird and guilty about it, which makes them mad at females who show their bodies too much, but also makes everyone worship females who show their bodies just enough (but also kind of hate them at the same time). And then women hate other women with “better” bodies, and little kids get the message that they’d better have the “right” kind of body and display it in the “right” way, or they’re screwed. It’s waaaaay more complicated than that, of course, but my point is that our entire relationship with human bodies is FUCKED.

There’s nothing objectively shameful about a body, which means there’s nothing objectively shameful about those outfits on the “sexy” paper dolls. (You never hear some badger mom complaining to Mole-ry Povich that her litter “dresses too sexy,” because that is just some weird shit that humans made up.) A “slutty” outfit is nothing but a different configuration of fabric. But because of the aforementioned taboo, and the commodification of the female body, and the way that certain religious folks combine those two things in the most fucked up and oppressive way possible, bodies mean everything. And 6-year-old girls internalize that and wind up “wanting” things that they don’t even understand: things that (supposedly) telegraph sexual desirability, things that (they think) will bolster their tiny ailing self-esteems. Things like, if this study is any indication, some shitty pleather bustier from the bargain bin at Lover’s Package.

And then we blame…pleather? Nope, sorry, this is our mess. You can froth about Barbies and shame Katy Perry all you want, religious mothers, but remember: you made Katy Perry.

-=jezebel.com

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Narrow minded display. That article is only true of a a certain demographic though the article itself creates bias in the readers who are not particularly familiar with or generally applying of critical thought, the voices mentioned above may be loud or even a majority but why should anyone care? There is also the set that wants to be in diapers and be breast fed by their mothers up to their tweens or worse, until ‘Psycho’ (1960 Alfred Hitchcock) scenarios occur but even that is their right though the murder was illegal and undesirable ( unless that was somehow subconsciously desired by Norman’s old mother). Other mothers sleep around, give birth and do not care about who does the adoption. Yet others collect as many orphans as they can to appear ‘cool’ and ‘kind’ while dripping evil on all other counts. This kids and sexiness thing is probably another fringe group who have parents that allow or foster or hacve been involved (gasp!) in this. Must be aware that generations ago, showing an ankle or even the neck was ‘sexy’. So who made the writer Ayatollah? People INCLUDING children will choose their preferences and regret the same or not later. Thats what being an individual is all about not biological age, though consent and free will of the child must be considered (i.e the child may want to continue family behaviour even if negative or may opt out the key issue is if the child has be taught to decide if said child wants to or not of said child’s free will).

The writer sounds really old and narrow minded here. There will always be burkha wearers even as there will be nudists. Or psychedelic organics smokers and those who avoid the same people and substances like plague. MINORITY OF ONE is a human right. It’s just that freedom of expression now FOR CHILDREN is much stronger than ever. Humanity is evolving even as fashionably outdated type memes will most certainly endure. Why rain on some kid’s ‘sexiness parade’? When people attempt to normalise anything or when everyone is a clone THEN that is more fightening. By sheer value in diversity, anyone should feel happy this is being expressed, though there should also be a open ended manual for children to study and be tested from, and discussion on what could or could not happen rather than NON-CONSENSUAL imprinting by parents, religions or society in a manner that subsumes a child’s free will which is what the 1st World and modern society or the ‘Minority of One’ concept (which is almost never practiced in law) is all about rather than the child’s own natural inclinations which must also be differentiated from stronger minds manipulating from the background in a form of ‘psychic dictatorship or ]’psychic subversion’ much like cults of personality that can demand all followers suicide and the group actually does that.

I.e. for a further example of free will – sex predators, which again some kids could actually want to ‘tame’ (or who knows HEAL with . . . , let your imagination run wild but this response at least comes from a Borticelli bod type lover . . . ), YES the fearlessness of the young is something that could change a sex predator brought up in older, less free willed times, the interactions are boundless – (and here we have ‘@jezebel’, yeah right – whats so ‘jezebel’ about snarking at kids wanting to be sexy? There will be some happy endings, some weird situations not too healthy, some though less – happy and even plain abusive where we must really step in but hardly on the above ‘want to be sexy’ example) – but in the history of mankind, probably most instances were not reported because internet media was not present. Stop nitpicking or being a control freak unless a particularly unpleasant incident happens. A below 10 kid loses their virginity. So? In some cases the kid themself might not even care and grow up into a career woman or get married as a mother without the psychosis that plagues those who come from strict prison-like chastity belt wearing convents or where parents beat children with belts and canes, or where even a slap or vicious scoldings could turn a child into some kind of hateful boss that enjoys bullying subordinates, or that loves to sabotage society by writing bad laws or even refusing to amend bad laws!

The frequency of ‘strange’ events like ‘kids wanting to be sexy’ is not increasing, more likely, we are just aware of the events because of new media and that society has chosen to live and let live rather than scream and spaz out in terror becuse these are not the values they are used to. Much like Burkha wearers and women forbidden to drive. They have a new voice and dare to express. So shaddup @jezebel, this dangerous potentially retaliatory, demogogue rousing musing bores the hell out of everyone. Ask around I’m very sure there are some who regret what not, but also some who would do eveything all over again, the point was to live for the moment, and the physical shell of the moment is but a reflection of commitment to reality beyond the physical, which is why some these youth appear so feckless – there is nothing left out there except values and religions that threaten to leave one’s souls even emptier, little wonder they run straight into to subculture or even BDSM lot!

So yes if somehow things work out in some strange way, we the responsible adults (who do not demogogue) MUST let them as private individuals do what they want. Some may even choose suicide victim or abuser, but the soul knows when and why, and we cannot presume to act on or manipulate on any other soul’s behalf as if we had none of our own and wanted to interfere in any other’s spiritual evolution. This is not pleasant or safe to say, BUT – if a victim gettting raped or a rapist getting away is part of that in some twisted manner, so that some sick pedophile gets a soul of their own (a soul for a rape event is WELL WORTH, and the attacker could go on to great things if we do not destroy them and they humannise fast enough to empathise with the victim etc..) or prevents the next Anti-Pope from being born, who knows what we could be causing if we prevented or pre-empted something else. Nature’s paths are many, and the mass killer who randomly kills Columbine style, could very well be killing some person who might give birth to someone who studies well as a nice scientist who ends up developing virulent poisons for some souless ‘Weyland-Yutani’ (refer to Aliens 1989 – Ridley Scott) type GMO/Genesplicing-toting corporation, or develops mind control technology that vicious minded dictators will destroy the free will of man with, or even brings black plague to the American continent etc.. . . . in the past? WHO ARE ANY TO DARE BLOCK FATE?

Here’s one mass murder that could have averted a Red Alert ‘Yuri’ (2001 EA Games) scenario where the world ends with all Humanity wiped out by mind control. Imagine if the below Holmes character got together with Biopolis Neuroscience Singapore and developed mind control technology that was inserted into BABIES brains at nanoscale or National Service Trainees on their 18th birthdays . . . aren’t we all glad Holmes flipped out instead of becoming a ‘Kroenen Nazi’ (Hellboy I – Guillermo del Toro 2004) under the employ of Nepotistic Dictator types?

Perhaps an intergalactic war could be averted because a cockroach was not stepped on and some insect-like aliens were pleased into putting that planet into the lower priority conquest list (lets return after conquest of planets that stomp on bugs more than this one . . . ). How does one know? Perhaps because some pedophile killed in this life (for those who believe in rebirth) because in a past life that pedophile was killed by that same child who victimised them? Do we know how this works? Know past, present, and future? If some kid dresses sexy in some abstruse manner that keeps pedophiles distracted so that they do not become a sexually frustrated and trigger happy nuke fire control person (if I were a military chief of a country with nukes, I’d make very sure that Mr.Push-the-Red-Button is well laid and has all the poon and sex he wants ALL THE TIME), that would kill millions and irradiate the planet. This would require an adult services industry for the unmarried AND a legal system where multiple wives were legal and upfront so that both married and unmarried types will have access. The spin off benefit would be that 2nd Amendment Rights would be very safe to have as well – Mr.Redneck would be happy knowing he could kill you with a shot and thus does not feel the need to go on a killing spree, though genuine psychos could well still be present! Check the mindsets of the potential buyers, licence guns etc. but to prohibit is stupid and insulting to intelligence, which again could upset people into smuggling and using guns as often as they can in some oblique form of protest at lack of right to bear arms!

I’d say lets turn the whole world into a red light district that also has organic psychedelics bars, distribute land and wealth equally, so that everyone was relaxed and pleasantly distracted than being put into situations that cause, frustrate or necessitate them to want to bend reality even as they bend in reality’s wind. See the angriest religion? The most capitalist country? Guess how unqualified they are to be morally pure/fiscally sound but so willing to commit acts of terror/so bankrupt . . . And here we have @jezebel wanting to diss ‘kids trying to be sexy’. These PERSONS (do not labelise as kids) are doing something not so nice as viewed by most of us who do not like that sort of thing, but sure as hell if adults don’t understand (much like heteros will never understand some people are gay, or bisexual), adults better shut up and see whether the kids or insane or the pedos are taking our souls or saving the world first, before firing socialised abuse without any warning, much less killing shots (in collusion with an already insane psychiatric establishment) that destroys persons engaging in general discussions on ideas like ‘kids trying to be sexy’.

We are not party to these people, have no right to judge, but can and should study and ask why and how FIRST, yet not condemn or prevent except in cases of coercion or unwanted and abusive grooming. This really is the best way – Live and Let Live . . . because things happen for a reason and must happen. That person left unmurdered could result in the murder of millions more simply because the system took out or disabled the would be murderer first. The fact might be that a murder in a particular neighbourhood was necessary! Lots of very bad people who have not been punished in former lives, dare think to presume to let them escape when ‘Punishers Through Time’ appear on the scene? How close or well studied are any to say? There will indeed be signs and thieves of signs covering up for more on the run from justice . . . stay the judgment from a past life but punishment will still arrive.

Civilise or stop a murderer and another will arise to claim the prize, do the job . . . Legion is many and reaches the ends of all civilisations and sentients in the Universe, Mankind cannot even manage their own planet’s ecology, preserve and maintain species diversiy or raise their lesser setient charges to a state of equality (try Cetaceans and Canines, Felines even Rodents) much less handle issues of equality and abuse in societies within Humanity on Earth . . .

‘God’ or ‘Nature’ created EVERYTHING, including the birthers, predators and cullers, quakers, Earthquakers of who and whatever. A cyle of life across time and dimensions needs predators or overpopulation will destroy or cause harm to societies of the prey. Thwart that immense will and unseen intent at severe cost to the Universe, to indulge the evil of one’s own fat or sanctimonious ego . . . This response is NOT intended or to be twisted to be in favour of sex oriented paedophiles (FINALLY – the word paedophile is not necessarily sexual btw, just straightening out hegelian dialectic floating around the use and abuse of the word demogogue style.Declaring one’s own ‘paedophilia’ (not recommended these days until the above written sinks in) is not sexual deviancy – good understanding of vocabulary says so current trends have twisted the word out of context – LEARN about hegelian dialectic and apply against government!!! . . . , so now think back to how people who dislike kids are really almost safer and less mentally exhaustive to be around in certain ways, yer lazy brains . . . bleeeeeeeeuuuuuurrrrrrrrrgh indeed.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak was supposed to be a better Prime Minister than Tun Abdullah Badawi. But his charm offensive belies his failure to protect our democracy and our institutions. Najib replaced Pak Lah because of the Umno warlords protecting their own interests, rather than those of the country’s; he is a Prime Minister beholden to Umno politicos, not the Malaysian voters.

The biggest problem people had with Pak Lah was that he was weak. He said nice things, but he didn’t have the willpower to see them through. He was a career civil servant, not a politician. So we got Najib—a consummate politician.

But Pak Lah’s weakness was a double-edged sword. He let a lot of people get away with saying nasty things—our nation’s dirty laundry of corruption and racism was aired like never before during his time. But the Sarawak Tribune aside, the Abdullah administration also let people get away with a lot of productive debate. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad regime.

The Najib regime is a return to the era of Mahathir. One of the most pervasive and repulsive examples of this is the insidious 1Malaysia campaign. It’s simply a tiruan ciplak of Bangsa Malaysia or Wawasan 2020—a pretence of vision for the country. Nowadays when I go to official events, the emcees greet us: “Assalamualaikum dan salam 1Malaysia.” This is nothing more than Orwellian propaganda.

Now, I could tolerate propaganda if this amorphous 1Malaysia idea were actually productive. It seems that Datuk Idris Jala has been working his butt off to make it so. But as The Malaysian Insider has reported, Idris’s attempts to redress racial injustices have been rejected by the Cabinet and replaced with vague, token promises of sweet nothings.

Other reform efforts, such as the amendment or abolition of the ISA and our other anti-democratic laws seem to have fallen by the wayside. Despite the fanciful KPIs flying around, the government still cannot convince the public that our law enforcement agencies truly work to uphold justice. In the public’s eyes, the MACC is as tainted and politically biased as ever. The constant foot-dragging in the prosecutions for the death of A. Kugan and the multi-billion ringgit Port Klang Free Zone disaster only suggest that Najib has no intention of meaningfully upholding the rule of law.

Under the Constitution, the same laws apply to all Malaysians: if one Malaysian has the right to peacefully protest, then all Malaysians must have that same right. Only a few days ago, the police stopped a major Pakatan rally in Kuala Lumpur because it was supposedly disturbing the peace.

When a bunch of rabble-rousers held rallies outside mosques across the country in January then—rallies where some people had the gall to call for further torching of churches—that wasn’t disturbing the peace? Apparently not: Najib’s regime protects your democratic rights only when it is convenient.

Now, Najib’s government is going further: it is confiscating books simply because it doesn’t like them. Cartoonist Zunar’s 1FunnyMalaysia is gone—I suppose because the title makes fun of 1Malaysia. Amir Muhammad’s Politicians Say the Darndest Things, which was perfectly acceptable for public consumption a year ago, is now gone from the shelves. Nat Tan and I edited a book on police brutality and custodial deaths, such as Teoh Beng Hock’s; this book, Where is Justice, is now gone too.

Again, forget the rule of law; these books are not officially banned. (Indeed, in some stores, the sales clerk will sell them to you from behind the counter.) What Najib has simply done is intimidate booksellers into taking these books off the shelves, so you do not even realise they exist. Again, the Orwellian parallels are frightening.

What I liked about Pak Lah is that as bumbling as he was, he was an accidental democrat. Under his still-authoritarian regime, we at least saw the beginnings of some productive and open debate. Heck, he even tried to reform the Anti-Corruption Agency and overhaul some of our draconian laws like the ISA before he stepped down. If Mahathir was Bapa Pemodenan, then I daresay Pak Lah could be Bapa Demokrasi.

Najib is set only on protecting himself and the cronies of his regime, democracy and the rule of law be damned. 1Malaysia does not do away with any of the serious injustices in our country; this is not a government for all Malaysians. This is a government for Umno. There is a chance, of course, for Najib to change course, and make 1Malaysia for all; he could, if he wanted to, be remembered as Bapa Reformasi. But unless he takes action, I fear we may well remember him as Bapa Kezaliman.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

” What I liked about Pak Lah is that as bumbling as he was, he was an accidental democrat. Under his still-authoritarian regime, we at least saw the beginnings of some productive and open debate. ”

NO, John ‘Chattering Classes’ Lee, thats not true at all. Pak Lah was no accidental democrat. During Pak Lah’s time, FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTIONS without abstention options backed by fines and jail terms which still exist today were implemented. Those had caused near a score deaths and still cause deaths among trainees. There is nothing accidental or democratic about Pak Lah allowing that to occur under his watch. FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTIONS without abstention options backed by fines and jail terms in fact draws influences from two of the world’s most oppressive regimes – Singapore’s dictatorship, Taiwan’s ‘Fear of Invasion Collusion for Contractor profiteering AGAINST the Chinese hinterland’ and Israel’s Zionism and directly contravenes the Human Rights Charter which Malaysia is a signatory of and perhaps even the Hadiths of Islam.

What’s so democratic about Pak Lah who allowed FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTIONS without abstention options to be inflicted on Malaysia (alongside with so many instances of less than subtle clique forming and nepotism)? Given PM Najib’s use of APCO Worldwide, an Israel based and possibly Zionist owned media company to promote 1Malaysia, we know where Malaysia is heading under the racist faction at UMNO, hopefully Pakatan Rakyat will abolish FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTIONS (sadly we have parachute CM YM Lim Guan Eng indirectly fetting the pernicious abstentionless militarisation system – doubtless influenced by DAP’s ppatron PAP Singapore to the point that DAP’s MPs and Assemblymen cannot declare their assets – by saying the Forced Abstention Clauseless Militarisation/Brainwash programme ‘helped’ Guan Eng’s daughter – well on the mind control note, NOTE CAREFULLY Guan Eng went down in a Malay staffed submarine for a few hours, this is enough to place any Neurotech implants or allow for any chemical induced brainwahing to occur – he’s just not made his move for his new ‘Masters’ yet so do know that DAP leadership is currently impacted by UMNO high tech infiltration/brainwash (unless PAP has some de-brainwash protocols?) in which case DAP is still subject to PAP fifth columnist influence, needs changing – note how shidty Guan Eng is on Hudud these days? Meanwhile ISA has not even been abolished, implement IPCMC as well as give Malaysia :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution.

;so that we will not mistake so pre-groomed Yes-Men (installed illegally as PM by the facts thus far) with so called ‘Bapa Reformasi’ and ‘Accidental Democrats’ who militarise the population by force (no abstention and under threat of fines and jailings) by the writings of possibly embedded writers such as the above. Slamming a single political (Najib) faction while promoting another (Pak Lah) has been faction does not make one a defender of Human Rights and Democracy John . . . while Malaysia becomes more and more oppressive with police state, militarised laws like FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTION and ISA which Pak Lah had power to remove but did not, we have people like John lying through his teeth whil calling politically interested citizens ‘chattering classes’. Just another spin-doctor counter-propagandist working for racists.

By God’s will (if you believe in God) Man is free, Man can choose, and unless Malaysians are not considered human and have rights as elucidated in the UNHCR, by which FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTIONS without abstention options rubber-stamps obviously are illegal, none (especially Federal Government) has a right to force anyone into military fatigues under threat of fine or incarceration. Pak Lah, why did you allow that to happen? Why did you not address the above ITEMS 1,2 and 3 and vacillate the people’s mandate away? Some of us believed in you and you let everyone down . . .

ARTICLE 2

Breaking the fever of militarism — Chris Floyd

MARCH 9 — All who draw the sword will die by the sword. (Yeshua Ha-Notsri, Palestinian dissident, c. 33 CE.)

As we all know — or rather, as everyone but those who climb and claw their way to the top of power’s greasy pole knows — the effects of war are vast, unforeseeable, long-lasting — and uncontrollable.

The far-reaching ripples of the turbulence will churn against distant shores and hidden corners, then roil back upon you in ways you could never imagine, for generations, even centuries.

Nor is “victory” in war proof against these deleterious effects. For the brutalization, moral coarsening, corruption and concentration of elite power that attend every war do not simply disappear from a society when the fighting stops.

They persist, like microbes, in myriad forms, working with slow, corrosive force to degrade and deform the victors.

Indeed, victory in battle often leads a society to enshrine war’s most pernicious attributes: violence is ennobled, and becomes entrenched as an ever-ready instrument of national policy.

Militarism is exalted, the way of peace dishonored: cries of “Appeasers! Cowards! Traitors!” greet every approach that fails to brandish the threat of extreme violence, that fails to “keep all options on the table.”

The apparent “lesson” of victory — that there can be no right without armed might to win and safeguard it — quickly degenerates into the belief that armed might is right.

Military power becomes equated with moral worth, and the ability to wreak savage, unimaginable destruction through armed violence —via thoughtless obedience to the orders of “superiors” — becomes a cherished attribute of society.

War is no longer seen as a vast, horrific failure of the human spirit, a scandalous betrayal of our common humanity, a sickening tragedy of irrevocable loss and inconsolable suffering —although this is its inescapable reality, even in a “good” war, for a “just” cause. (And of course no nation or faction has ever gone to war without declaring that its cause is just.)

Instead of lamenting war, and girding for it, if at all, only in the most dire circumstances, with the most extreme reluctance, the infected society celebrates it at every turn. No national occasion — even a sporting event! — is complete without bristling displays of military firepower, and pious tributes to those wreaking violence around the world in blind obedience to their superiors.

Oddly enough, when a modern nation consciously adopts a “warrior ethos,” it casts aside —openly, even gleefully — whatever virtue that ethos has historically claimed for itself, such as courage in battle and honor toward adversaries.

In its place come the adulation of overwhelming technological firepower and the rabid demonization of the enemy (or the perceived enemy, or even the “suspected” enemy), who is stripped of all rights, all human dignity, and subject to “whatever it takes” to break him down or destroy him.

Thus our American militarists exult in the advanced hardware that allows “soldiers” to slaughter people from thousands of miles away, with missiles, bombs and bullets fired from lurking, unreachable drones high in the sky. (A recent study shows that even by the most conservative reckoning of who is or isn’t a “militant,” at least one third of the hundreds killed in the Bush-Obama drone campaigns on the “Af-Pak” front are clearly civilians.)

The drone “warriors” — often living in complete safety and comfort —see nothing but a bloodless image on a screen; they face no physical threat at all. This is assassination, not combat; it reeks of cowardice, and dehumanizes everyone it touches, the victims and the button-pushers alike.

Yet our militarists — most of whom, of course, have somehow never found the time to fight the wars they cheer for — wax orgasmic about this craven weaponry. In the transvaluation of values that militarism produces, cowardice becomes a martial virtue.

Barack Obama, the Nobel Peace Laureate, pushes forward with plans for the “Prompt Global Strike” system of “conventional” super-missiles that can rain down massive death — unstoppable, undeterrable, without warning — anywhere on the planet within an hour. All this, while expanding shorter-range missile “defense” systems that bristle with blatantly offensive potential, and intent, all over the world.

Plus spending billions to “modernize” the nuclear arsenal, ensuring that it stays effective enough to murder the entire earth, while weeding out some “redundant” warheads as a PR gesture.

Meanwhile, the drone programs — emblazoned with names that proudly proclaim their savage nature: “Predators” and “Reapers,” launching “Hellfire” missiles into sleeping villages — keep expanding relentlessly. As noted by Nick Turse — who is doing invaluable work detailing the deadly nuts and bolts of the militarist empire and its profiteers — the Pentagon is drooling over visions of vast robotic forces filling the heavens and roaming the earth, even down to the smallest crevice.

He rightly notes the main purpose of this massively funded R&D: to make war “easier,” less deadly to “our side,” and thus more palatable to the public:

“This means bigger, badder, faster drones — armed to the teeth — with sensor systems to monitor wide swathes of territory and the ability to loiter overhead for days on end waiting for human targets to appear and, in due course, be vaporized by high-powered munitions.

It’s a future built upon advanced technologies designed to make targeted killings — remote-controlled assassinations — ever more effortless.

“… For the Air Force, such a prospect is the stuff of dreams, a bright future for unmanned, hypersonic lethality; for the rest of the planet, it’s a potential nightmare from which there may be no waking.”

But while Turse outlines this potential nightmare in grim detail, we are of course beset by present nightmares in horrific plenty. And few are more chilling than the ruling establishment’s astonishingly swift acceptance of outright torture as an open tool of national policy.

This acceptance not only includes the increasingly frenzied praise and championing of torture by the circle of war criminals and accomplices led by Dick Cheney; in slightly more restrained tones, it goes right across the board among the political and media elite. Torture is now nothing more than a topic for “debate” — debates which center largely on the relative “effectiveness” of various torture techniques, or else on mindless (not to mention heartless) hairsplitting over the meaning of the word “torture.”

There is of course a myth that Barack Obama has “ended” the practice of torture. This is not even remotely true. For one thing, the Army Field Manual that Obama has adopted as his interrogation standard permits many practices that any rational person would consider torture.

For another, we have no way of verifying what techniques are actually being used by the government’s innumerable “security” and intelligence agencies, by the covert units of the military — and by other entities whose very existence is still unknown.

These agencies are almost entirely self-policed; they investigate themselves, they report on themselves to the toothless Congressional “oversight” committees; we simply have to take these organizations —whose entire raison d’etre is deceit, deception, lawlessness and subterfuge — at their word.

And of course, we have no way of knowing what is being done in the torture chambers of foreign lands where the United States often “outsources” its captives.

Finally, even if the comforting bedtime story of Obama’s ban of torture techniques in interrogation were true, there remains his ardent championing of the right to seize anyone on earth — without a warrant, without producing any evidence whatsoever of wrongdoing — and hold them indefinitely, often for years on end, in a legal limbo, with no inherent rights whatsoever, beyond whatever narrowly constricted, ever-changing, legally baseless and often farcical “hearings” and tribunals the captors deign to allow them.

Incarceration under these conditions is itself an horrendous act of torture, no matter what else might happen to the captive. Yet Obama has actively, avidly applied this torture, and has gone to court numerous times to defend this torture, and to expand the use of this torture.

Many thousands of innocent people have already been forced through the meat grinder of this torture — at one point early in the Iraq War, the Red Cross estimated that 70-90 percent of the more than 20,000 Iraqis being held by the Americans as “suspected terrorists” were not guilty of any crime whatsoever, much less ‘terrorism’.

And that is just a single snapshot, at a single point in time, of the vast gulag that America has wrapped around the earth — a gulag where many have been murdered outright, not just tortured or unjustly imprisoned. And it is still going on, with scarcely a demur across the bipartisan establishment.

The heinous and dishonorable practice of torture, physical and psychological, is now an intrinsic, openly established element of American society.

Murder, cowardice, torture, dishonor: these are fruits — and the distinguishing characteristics — of the militarized society. What Americans once would not do even to Nazis with the blood of millions on their hands, they now do routinely to weak and wretched captives seized on little or no evidence of wrongdoing at all.

We are deep in the darkness, and hurtling deeper, headlong, all the time.

Let’s not kid ourselves, however. The militarism that has now gained such a strangulating ascendancy over American life did not drop down suddenly from the sky (or arrive on the hijacked bus that Bush and Cheney drove to the White House).

Although this militarism has now reached unprecedented levels of institutional and political dominance, there has always been a strong warlike strain running through American history — indeed, through its pre-history as well, as Fred Anderson and Andrew Cayton demonstrate in their book, Dominion of War, detailing the decisive influence of war and imperialism on America’s development over the past 500 years.

Nor is it a peculiarly American problem. As Caroline Alexander notes in her excellent new work, The War That Killed Achilles:

“If we took any period of a hundred years in the last five thousand, it has been calculated, we could expect, on average, 94 of those years to be occupied with large-scale conflicts in one or more parts of the world. This enduring, seemingly ineradicable fact of war is … as intrinsic and tragic a component of the human condition as our very mortality.”

We human beings have been shaped by millions of years of genetic breakage and mutation, all of which is still on-going. We are compounds of chaos, ignorance and error. Our psyches are frail and variegated things, isolated, with each individual consciousness formed from a unique and ever-shifting coalescence of billions of brain cells firing (and misfiring) in infinite, unrepeatable combinations.

Beneath this electrical superstructure lie mechanical rhythms and erratic surges of instinct and impulse, dark, hormonal tides and drives that never reach the plane of awareness.

In the infancy of our species we began to cling — fiercely, in fear and desire — to patterns of behavior, emotion and thought that seemed to bring some sort of order, some containment of the whirlwind within us, and some protection from the dangers, known and unknown, that lurked outside.

We began to do “whatever it takes” to preserve these patterns from the ever-present threat of their dissolution in the whirlwind, to impose them, by violence if necessary, on the recalcitrant material of reality — including the always-unknowable, impenetrable reality of the Other, those mysterious combinations outside our isolated consciousness.

The patterns become ingrained, they sink into the substrate where they operate unquestioned and unseen, they become “natural,” the way that things must be. Domination and obedience are among the strongest, and most enduring, of these patterns, taking multitudinous forms — a “local habitation and a name” — in the ever-changing circumstances of existence.

War is their expression writ large. It is in us, it comes from us.

But to acknowledge war’s intrinsic, universal character does not absolve us of the need to resist it. To say, “Oh, that’s just human nature; it’s always been this way and always will be this way,” is not only a lazy, timorous acquiescence to base instinct, it also posits a settled, even eternal quality to human nature and human consciousness that simply does not and cannot exist.

To go against war, to step outside the ingrained behavioral patterns of domination and obedience is indeed an “unnatural” act — and it feels unnatural, it feels strange, and raw, and frightening. But the deeper fear — of psychic and physical dissolution — that lies at the foundation of these ever-more destructive patterns can only be faced down, changed, and wrenched into some more benevolent pattern by embracing the risk and discomfort of stepping forth, of stepping beyond — literally, “transgressing” — the boundaries of a wholly imaginary (or even hallucinatory) “human nature.”

The whirlwind that characterizes the imperfect, breaking, misfiring, evolving reality of human consciousness is not only a producer of (very understandable) deep-seated fears; it is also a force for liberation.

Because our nature is not ultimately fixed, we can, literally and figuratively, burn new connections in our brains, we can enlarge our consciousness and extend our empathetic understanding of those strange Others. And we have been doing this, in fits and starts, in lurches and staggers, with much backsliding and many wrong turns — indeed, in ignorance and error — for as long as we have been creatures cursed and gifted with self-awareness.

We do have the capacity, the space, to resist the patterns of domination and obedience, to seek out new ways of seeing the world, of being in the world, of communing with others.

This seems, to me, a worthwhile thing to be getting on with during our painfully brief time on the earth, during our infinitesimal window of opportunity to make some small contribution toward pushing the project of being human — or rather, becoming human — down the road, at least a few more steps, in the direction of a better understanding, a broader consciousness, a greater enlightenment. — http://www.counterpunch.org

* Chris Floyd is an American writer and frequent contributor to CounterPunch. His blog, Empire Burlesque, can be found at http://www.chris-floyd.com.

ARTICLE 3

Suppress ‘Anti-conscription System’

The National Police Agency (NPA) investigated internet sites of anti-military/avoiding military service. Two sites closed by themselves and discussion on it is getting passive.

What is difference between objecting military service and avoiding military service?

Where can we draw a line between discussing conscription system and agitating objection of military service? On Mar.20.2001 an investigation team on cyber crimes of the NPA announced that they are investigating on three inter-net sites, which informed people about how to avoid, military service, agitated people to object military service and recruited its members through the notice board on Internet. This announcement is controversial in Korea. The three sites, which are under investigation, are ‘Non Service Army site (NSA)’, ‘Organization of Objecting Military Service (OMS-Taum Cafe)’ and ‘Defense Ministry of Abusing Us (DMAU-Laicos)’.

The OMS is the most active discussion site among military service related sites and has been accessed more than 40,000 times. The police announced to exclude OMS from investigation because OMS had been a discussion site, which had pointed out problems of conscription system and suggested volunteer army instead of it, and it had also come under a sphere of ‘freedom of expression’. DMAU was also excluded because even though it had been considered the site which had informed people the way of avoiding military service in detail such as the amount of bribes, having an experience of treatment in mental hospital, and habitual dislocation, it had given information of recruit of special case of military service and played a role as a private bureau on military service. Moreover, ordinary people already know the methods of avoiding military service that had been shown on the notice board of DMAU.

The site that the police focused on is NSA because it declared the anti-military movement. The police announced to investigate the NSA because a member of the NSA had declared not going to the army in public, and their behaviors such as denying military duties and agitating objection of conscription are anti-social. Moreover, they had ‘offline’ meeting twice, and it was considered an action for spreading anti-military movement. Even though it is controversial, the police investigates and actively applies NMS’s behavior to Article 114 of the criminal code which stats a crime of being a member of group/organization of objecting military service. After an announcement of the policy of the police, more than 300 mails both of agreement and disagreement with it have been shown on the NMS site.

On the same day the police required Taum communication and Laicos Korea to submit managers’ personal record, and ‘the Council of Info-communication Ethics’ also required these sites to close. Although Taum communication submitted managers’ personal record and ID address, Laicos Korea rejected closing its site because it considered the close of conscription related site is too much restriction on the freedom brought by internet. The Council of Info-communication Ethics couldn’t decide an order of correction because the discussion in the council hasn’t been convened. However, on the notice board of OMS displayed its close, and all contents of the notice board of DMAU were removed the following day.

The managers of OMS and DMAU accepted the police investigation, but two managers of NSA didn’t. While the police insisted that they violated Article 114 of the criminal code (it read that people who organize groups for the purpose of objecting military duties or tax payment duties, or to be a member, will be punished 15 years of imprisonment or less than 15million won penalty), it seems the range of application to the law will be controversial. Furthermore, the fact that the police included not only managers of the sites but also members as its investigation objects is more controversial. The mangers of the NSA said, “We didn’t put the method of avoiding military service on the site. Moreover, we only required government to accept the rights of objection by political conscientious reason and the alternative service.”

During the police investigation, citizens’ organizations one after another announced their statements. On Mar.22.2001, 8 organization for peace and human rights such as the Solidarity of Peace and Human Rights, the Organization of Human Rights Movement and Mingahyop criticized and said “the police action is an expression of their will which they won’t sit and watch the rational discussion related to problems of conscription system and making it as public opinion. The following day the Progressive Network Center, the Democratic Labor Party and the Solidarity of All Nation participated in ‘Co-action against Info-communication censorship’ and announced its statement. The statement read that the idea, which the police justify, its censorship on the inter-net by considering only having discussion about conscription system being antisocial is out of date. And these organizations required withdrawing its investigation on discussion sites about conscription.

A person concerned the police said “I don’t think that the NSA established a big organization only after opening its site one month ago. But we want to prevent beforehand because we have to pay much social cost when this movement occurs in large scale. We also know that the discussion on conscription system in the society is already started, and we never think about stopping the discussion itself totally.

It is not sure that this incident is applied to ‘the crime of being members in organizations of objecting military service’. The police have to prove that the NSA organized an organization for the purpose of objecting military service, and the managers of the NSA have to prove that their purpose was not avoiding conscription. The policy for investigation of the police already brought passive (=not active) discussion just after the discussion on conscription started. It is proved by the two sites, which closed it by themselves.

Interview with Jo Yakgol (manager of the NSA) on a Meeting of ‘Offline’

“We oppose all kinds of violence and the military force.”

Is anti-military movement different from movement of conscientious objection?

Anti-military movement is a larger conception than movement of CO. We oppose militarism pervaded in every place of Korean society and CO. Avoiding military service is not a purpose of our movement. Our purpose is having doubts and reflection about the attitude that military system and conscription system are too justified by ordinary people.

Why anti-military movement?

For me, it is a struggle for surviving. I was terrified to see people (not only men but also women, disabled people, and homosexuals) living under oppression of nationalism and uniformity. If I endure this situation, it means that I aid violence. I think that the core of nationalism is conscription system. That is why I am doing the anti-military movement.

What is an aim of movement?

Getting rid of all kinds of violence and military force is our ultimate aim. However, CO by political, religious and humanitarian reasons should be accepted the first. If the alternative service is introduced, the next task is to change over to volunteer military system. I don’t think these are easy tasks.

Who do you cooperate with?

We welcome whoever stands for anti-military. An essence of military is monopoly of military force, and a few privileged people keep the present social order using it (military force). We want to work together with the weak and the minority against the present social order.

What are methods of movement?

We are planning to have a performance about anti-military on the Mayday. We are collecting songs about anti-military and already have some of them.

How is the situation of running the site?

I have received much response on the line, but people don’t turn up a meeting of ‘offline’. I guess that some people come here and look around, but they don’t show up. I can see deeply rooted fear of our mind through this behavior.

We citizens in South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand (this is a monastic conscription but still conscription nevertheless), Taiwan etc.. (Russia is ending Forced Military Conscriptions . . . so not on this list) also need a UN Agency addressing FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTIONS to set up an office here in Malaysia as well. Normal citizens are having their human rights abused via the FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTIONS being forced on them via fines and jail terms. Via the UNHCR abusing NS Act, the government of the day has contravened the Articles of the Human Rights Charter :

Article 9.

* No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 12.

* No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family . . .

Article 19.

* Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. Expression of Conscientious Objection is trampled upon by the NS Act.

Article 22.

* Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization . . . of social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. A right to not being part of a Quasi-Military organisation under threat of fine and jail is given in Article 22. (i.e. Islam is a religion of peace, Indians have concept of Varna, Chinese do not regard the Military as a prestigious institution . . . )

Please set up a UN agency addressing the FORCED MILITARY CONSCRIPTIONS on Conscientious Objectors or people who do not subscribe to non-voluntary enforcement of military service.

ARTICLE 4

The rhetoric of oppression

MARCH 9 — Umberto Eco, in his article, The Wolf and the Lamb — The Rhetoric of Oppression (from which the title to this article is borrowed), posits that often enough, an oppressor — such as a dictator — would try to legitimise his oppression. He or she will even try “to obtain the consensus of those he is oppressing, or to find someone who will justify it” by using “rhetorical arguments to justify his abuse of power.”

(At this juncture, I would like to add to Eco’s example of an oppressor. In addition to a dictator, I would add a “totalitarian democrat” who is a so-called leader elected through a controlled democratic process. I would also add to the list what Rawls terms as the “benevolent absolutist.”)

The need for legitimisation of an act or acts of oppression, to my mind, stems from the desire to justify such acts, which in turn is driven by purely egoistical motivation, or perhaps is due to a deep feeling of guilt. Added to that must be the desire to gain acceptance of the people and to pander to the middle class intellectual probing.

Whatever the reason for the attempt to legitimise, at the end of the day, the rhetoric of the oppressor, to reasonable and probing minds, would often come out as completely lame and curious — sometimes even ridiculous, stupid and laughable — babbles.

That is because of the nature of the oppressor. He is so used to getting and doing what he wants without the necessity to justify any of his actions. He thus develops this inability to answer properly when questioned; to engage when called to question; to debate when argued against.

The oppressor rules with absolute subservience from his minions. He is the supreme leader. He is an idol of the people. His wishes are his people’s commands. All the years of absolutism contributes to his feeling of being infallible. That in turn numbs his mind and thought process.

Darwin’s evolution theory has proven that when any particular biological or physical mechanism is not used or needed for some time, it will soon disappear from the being. That is true with the oppressor. Soon, he ceases being a thinking creature.

All that matters to him is the untold power which he wields. And the idolatry which he enjoys.

Thus the legitimisation of his acts is actually unnecessary. It is not a rational act. Or a rationalisation process. There is no need for such process. Because at the end of the day, all that matters to the oppressor is the achievement of a goal. And that is already assured and ensured. Not much care is then needed in the process of legitimisation.

Being so, when an oppressor tries to legitimise his oppression through rhetoric, it often sounds curious and ridiculous to reasonable people. Needless to say, they often fall flat.

Eco, in his work, gives us a classic “pseudorhetoric of oppression” in the form of Phaedrus’ fable of the wolf and the lamb.

In the tale, a thirsty wolf and a lamb came to a stream. The wolf was drinking upstream and the lamb was downstream. The wolf, ever the oppressor that he was, sought to start a quarrel.

“Why are you muddying the water I am drinking?” said the wolf.

If we stopped here, we could see the utter ridiculousness of the would-be oppressor’s starting line. How could the lamb, who was downstream, muddy the water which the wolf was drinking upstream? But the wolf, as with any oppressor, does not care about reasonableness of arguments. Reasonableness is only for the weak.

The lamb, however, represents a picture of reasonableness, when he sought to rationalise with the wolf. He answered, “I am sorry, but how could I do that? I am drinking the water that has passed you first.”

That is a polite answer. It is also an answer which any sensible member of a civilised society would offer to the oppressor’s rhetoric. Faced with such sensible — and probably irrefutable — rebuttal, the wolf changes the goal post and employs another line of attack.

To the reasonable mind, this is something which is totally unrelated to the first line of attack. It reflects the oppressor’s inability to engage in any meaningful debate about a stand taken by him. When faced with such a situation, the oppressor would create a new attack in a reckless manner.

The recklessness in the oppressor’s reply shows when the lamb said “but I wasn’t even born yet six month ago!”

Again, the oppressor’s inability is exposed. He is shamed but not ashamed. That is due to the power which he wields and the obvious physical prowess between the oppressor and the oppressed. The wolf would again change his charge.

The wolf, this time with impatience, said, “by Hercules, then it was your father who spoke badly of me.”

With that statement, the wolf pounced on the lamb, killing it before eating it up.

How frightening!

Regardless of the simplicity of the tale, the reflection of the oppressor’s mind and how it works in that tale is paralysingly frightening. The almost nonchalant attitude towards the exercise of extreme power by the strong and mighty over the weak and meek is symptomatic of any oppression.

Throughout Malay classical literature, we can see for example, the child Hang Nadim, who saved Temasek from the dreaded “ikan todak”, being executed for being too smart and therefore a possible threat to the Sultan. When Hang Tuah was perceived as being favoured by the Sultan, he was accused of partying with the Sultan’s “gundek” (concubine) and sentenced to death.

In not too far a time before, for some reason or other, the regime wanted Tun Salleh, the Lord President, sacked. That was the opening line as provided by the wolf. To which, Tun Salleh asked “Why?”

The answer was “because you have signed a resignation letter.”

The reply was “But I have changed my mind, because I was under pressure.”

The final rebuttal, before Tun Salleh was dismissed was, “You have to resign because you have abused your power by bringing your son to the authority to request a fishery license. You also have to be sacked because you promote Islam and Islamisation in your judgments and speeches.”

The utter ridiculousness and unreasonableness of the rhetoric did not matter. Because the oppressor had no ability to rationalise. Nor did he see the need to do so.

Later, Anwar Ibrahim had to go as the DPM.

“What did I do?” asked Anwar. That was the sensible and reasonable lamb asking the wolf who was starting a fight.

Just like the wolf accusing the lamb of bad mouthing him six months ago, Anwar was told that he had to go because he had committed sodomy.

The lamb, in the fable above said he wasn’t even born yet six months ago.

Anwar said “but the apartment in which I committed sodomy wasn’t even completed yet at the time you said I committed sodomy!”

Notice the uncanny similarities between the fable and the event which had actually happened?

Faced with that, the oppressor changed his story, just like the wolf. “Okay, but you did commit sodomy at that place on a different date. And I have the mattress too.”

With that, the lamb was pounced on, killed and eaten up.

Contemporary Malaysia is filled with stories of oppression and denied justice. The rhetoric of oppression has been perfected and repeated to utter death.

“You are too noisy and please shut up,” said the wolf.

“What have I done?” asked the people.

“You have insulted Islam and are a threat to national security,” came the answer.

Or, “You have to be detained for your own safety,” came the mind-numbingly curious answer.

I could go on and on. But I would just sound like a horribly scratched CD.

The question is, what is the lamb going to do about it?

Yes.

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

What is the lamb going to do about it? Why does the writer presume to make the reader into a lamb and show how helpless the reader is? That is my impression at any rate. We are HUMAN BEINGS and not lambs. Therefore we can do whatever any other HUMAN BEING can do. Just MANKIND here. No lambs sorry. By that let us live in a state of :

1) Freedom from Apartheid/Fascism
2) Freedom from Religious-Persecution/Religious-Supremacy.
3) Equality for all ethnicities and faiths in all aspects of policy, Law and Constitution.

That is what HUMAN BEINGS are going to do here in Malaysia. Wolves and lambs can go yiff and vore each other to death. We HUMAN BEINGS couldn’t care less. Neurolinguistic programming articles are the worst type of word litter on the web. Rhetoric of Oppression indeed !

Try the below site :

War Resisters International (this is nominally an end Forced Conscription Organisation as well) :

2 Somewhat Controversial Responses to varied Articles on Preservation of African-ness (please ask for any portions to be edited or removed if deemed offensive) – posted by @AgreeToDisagree – late February 2012

Wonder where you learned that move? Paris Jackson copies her father Michael’s famous dance step on the softtball field By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 6:55 AM on 15th January 2012

Her father was famous for his inspiring and innovative dance moves including the much admired Moonwalk.

And Paris Jackson today resembled the King of Pop as she balanced on her toes, Michael Jackson style on the softball field.

While catching the ball, the 13-year-old looked like she was bringing out one of her late father’s special tiptoe stand dance move.

Busting a move: Paris Jackson’s tip toe stand on the football field today resembled her late father Michael’s famous dance move

And Paris also seems to have her father’s focus, as she looked to be concentrating hard on the game.

The teenager is particularly sporty, and last year became the only female member of her school’s flag football squad.

And the aspiring actress will soon be making her acting début in film series Lundon’s Bridge And The Three Keys.

Family affair: Prince Michael, Blanket and Paris, pictured last year, will all be remembering their father at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

Meanwhile, her father’s memory lives on, and it was recently revealed that Paris and Prince, as well as younger brother Blanket, nine, will be placing their father’s shoes and famous sequinned glove into the cement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on January 26.

A statement announcing the news read: ‘The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre forecourt is one of the most photographed tourist sites in the world, annually attracting as many visitors as the Taj Mahal in India and the Prado Museum in Madrid.

‘The Grauman’s hands and footprints ceremony is rich in tradition and provides the four million plus people a year who visit the site an up close look at the hand and footprints of Hollywood’s most notable talents.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

She’s a pretty girl but I think she should sack the stylist.

– annie, Lancashire, 16/1/2012 00:20
Rating 23

I think its great that she carries those wonderful memories of her dad. It shows how wonderful love can be and that he is with her always. I hope their love and memories together, guides her well throughout her life.

– ChasUGC, Cali, USA, 16/1/2012 00:14
Rating 37

What a lovely young lady! She and her brothers must be making their father very proud! 🙂 I wish them nothing but the best in their futures!

– Lanis, NJ, USA, 16/1/2012 00:06
Rating 57

As for the constant ridiculing of Blanket’s nickname, his real name is Prince Michael Jackson II, and he is named after his great-grandfather. Michael Jr., the oldest, was born shortly after one of Michael’s grandfathers named Prince (he had 2) passed, and they nicknamed him Prince. As for Blanket, it’s a loving term meaning to “blanket with love” which was a term passed around Michael’s friends and family. The little boy doesn’t seem to have a problem with it, so I don’t know why everyone else does. [[[ *** Don’t go around using the reserved terms for real Royalty. If I were in Africa or want to be viable in Africa (i.e. not slight REAL Princes in Africa), I’d drop the ‘Prince’ part of the name and seek out a REAL African Princess to marry if I were Blanket (also to ‘Blackwash’ as mom was a commoner and whiote . . . ) – and only then could the TITLE not be a *name based FARCE. *** ]]] Best wishes to the MJ brood otherwise, and please don’t associate with MJ if you’re trying to whiten up – even in choice of mate . . . it’s allowing yourselves to be taken advantage of by ‘Ole Massa’ if anything.

– Ashley, USA, 15/1/2012 23:20
Rating 30

She is a very pretty girl but please DM stop showing that photo of her and her brothers with every article. In that photo she looks quite masculine and not very pretty. That said looking at the good photos – and there are tons – she is going to be a stunner. Just stop that pic.

– Chloe, London, 15/1/2012 22:54
Rating 28

Shes definately a beauty but can’t get over how much blanket looks like his dad!!

– em, Scotland, 15/1/2012 22:19
Rating 46

Yeah & she’ll be grabbing her crotch next! Leave her alone!

– observer, the clouds, 15/1/2012 22:15
Rating 41

Stunning looking girl but if she and her grandparents arent careful, she’ll end up another hollywood casualty, too much too young 😦

Even an MJ impersonator – especially a black and obviously African looking one would be better than this ‘half blood’ faux princess. MJ is *MALE* and *BLACK* (well he was until they decided to white wash him), and MJ’s obviously lightish-beigish skinned daughter (who should make a fine trophy wife for some celeb after a few films or some music . . .) is NOT MJ (she will never be MJ!!! Sniff!), or worse she manages to become MJ, though that would be an MJ w/o a you know what . . . she’d want to remain her father’s daughter not become her father (try growing articifial male genitalia but thats not ORGANIC while quite shemale), though at this point Paris (couldn’t someone like MJ’s daughter get ANOTHER name? Life is too short to spend as a France killing muppet NLP/meme . . . Shenene is more black though I think the whitewash effect in this generation of Jacksons is just too deeply entrenched . . . ) probably has not had time to delve into this.

Do not become MJ silly girl! Respect the ‘Immortal Tour’ by not becoming MJ, for immortal implies that MJ is alive, and if you want to become MJ, you’re deriving sustenance from MJ, subtracting from his spirit, also the name of the tour and hence the fans as well . . . Sadly if even ‘Blanket’ is not any more African either, how can this really pale woman become MJ? Maybe Africa’s intelligence or information ministry could fund it’s own ‘blackwashed’ star called JM (use authentic African names) who becomes increasingly dark and more African as he gets more famous, who is MALE (of course otherwise how to ‘unsubvert’ what looks set to occur here) . . .

But do control the franchise that your father MJ left or, (perhaps) yet to be born Uncle (yes uncle, MJ II is another brother . . . ) could become, after your Grandparents pass on, IF MJ MK2 doesn’t get the better of everyone from YOUR generation haha, you’d all be senior to MJ MKII (perhaps Hitler’s clone as well) by 10-20 years! MJ’s spirit would approve! Like the spirit of the Egyptian gods await a Pharoah to speak through again, MJ MKII could be an instant reboot of MJ I apart from cloning, which means Hitler probably is already among us . . .

Faux-Data on proposed MJ MK II Project

– Same parents and DNA? Check.

– Same training? Check.

– Same childhood places etc..? Check.

MJ MK II should be born in a year . . . and should not somehow become pale skinned again . . .

MJ’s dad and mom (both alive and well) could have another child with a very ethnic looking African as a surrogate birth mother (try a secondary member of Royalty from Africa, 2nd wife time!!! – and MJ II could be a REAL Prince – and of Pop – wonder if Pop is a sexual NLP, in which case perhaps better not to associate- as well . . . ) AND calling that child MJ *AGAIN* to train in a similar manner (minus beltings and violence of course, Gramps Jackson looks to have mellowed too much to be into that in any case . . .) . . . MJ-MKII (a real African Prince by blood AND without bleaching . . . )

I suggest this new MJ the II, start visiting with extant Royal families in Africa when he’s grown enough and indirectly adopting those Royals as family. Heck, even form an Imperial African Council out of African Royal familes and marry MLK’s descendants with the new African Emperor’s kids and a worldwide African Renaissance could well be on the way. Would Pres. Obama take the initiatives here?

He formed one of the most successful musical groups of all time which he ruled with an iron fist.

But Joe Jackson has now been reduced to selling cheap aftershave at a Las Vegas mall.

How the mighty have fallen: Joe Jackson has been spotted selling cheap fragrances at a shopping mall

Sleeping on the job: Joe appeared to be dozing off as he worked

The late Michael Jackson’s father is seen here sat at his kiosk, surrounded by fragrances.

Joe wasn’t exactly swamped with customers and appeared to be dozing-off, according to celebrity website TMZ which obtained the image.

Joe was the special guest at the Julian Rouas Paris kiosk selling Jackson Perfumes underneath a famous sketch of The King of Pop.

To make matter’s worse – the whole operation may be illegal.

According to TMZ, Bravado International – which owns the trademark to all things Michael Jackson – is suing Julian Rouas Paris, alleging the company never got permission to use Michael’s name or image.

Mogul: Joe looked after his family of talented musicians

The music mogul managed his famous children in their various incarnations of singing groups.

He was in charge of The Jackson 5, Michael Jackson, La Toya Jackson and Janet Jackson.

Following the death of his son Michael, Joe has taken something of a backseat while his other family members have been seen in the spotlight more.

Joe turns 84 later this year.

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Would rather proper proof than those awful blurry pictures. It would be me sitting there and I’m nowhere near his age neither am I male!

– mysslo, London, UK, 04/2/2012 10:02
Rating 199

Would be a brilliant ‘serves you right’ moment if it was him however to me this person looks nothing like him. The person clearly has black hair cut at the nape of their neck whereas Joe Jackson’s hair is short.

– Kate, Epsom, 04/2/2012 10:00
Rating 60

Repulsive man!

– Sue., Bradford, uk, 04/2/2012 09:42
Rating 115

have you people bothered to read this story? It doesn’t say he’s broke and it’s clear he’s doing a special appearance to promote the cheap pong, he’s not taken on a job manning the stall.

– joey deakin, yorks, 04/2/2012 09:26
Rating 77

You can obviously tell thats not him sitting down. Thats Elvis!

– john, Belfast, 04/2/2012 09:25
Rating 104

That’s not even him in that picture lol

– craig_bradford, Bradford, 04/2/2012 08:57
Rating 83

Here’s me thinking he was negotiating with record companied to reissue Michaels music BEFORE Michael was even laid to rest and was talking about hundreds of millions of dollars……………..

Its pretty obvious that the girl in the photo is the person running the stall..If it is him,which i doubt,i think he was just having a sit down,the lady just let him have her stool…Just not news DM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

– openminded!!, Manchester UK, 04/2/2012 08:00

[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]

Sure thats the right person?!? Envisioned this guy at under-boss level at least, one step above the floor manager at some super sized venue? Or even an owner of a largish sized pub or strip club sitting in a private office with a massive window overlooking the dancefloor and bar – not a one man show in the mall in the day?!? This is way pathetic especially at this age and with that sort of background. Where are all the black women lining up in hopes of bearing an MJ II lookalike (psst lining up black ladies, your kid would be MJ I’s entire brood’s (Prince, Paris and Blanket) uncle or auntie didja know?)? Heck, if MJ Sr knows how to make cash, he could even figure out a Spanka-Claus franchise with himself offering beltings to star wannabe kids (lots of moms and dads looking to get their children would want something of MJ to rub off on their wannabe stars and would not pass this up) who can later get a tattoo that said – ‘MJ’s father belted me too’ at the mall! At 86, MJ Sr could have a good 10-20 years more to go, so lots of tattooed kids who ‘received’ a spot of MJ-ness, with the rest all lookalikes . . .

This is like that D and below-list supporting actress who could very well charge to have her picture taken with some guy burying their head (the one with the brain of course . . . of course ‘wink’) in their bosoms . . . this guy is MJ’s dad! Celebrity or decades in the industry count for nothing huh? Who brought you MJ? Hand’s up the 2 people who appear to have sold themselves short . . . unless this is some cheap shot fake scenario to draw out the insane . . . in which case if the whole thing was a scenario, just ignore what was posted here haha.